Mental health services ‘failing to meet women’s needs’

Women with mental health issues are not having their needs met by the services available in England, according to a new report.

Results of a Freedom of Information request released by women's charity Agenda has indicated that only one NHS mental health trust of the 35 who responded had a women-specific mental health strategy in place.

Moreover, 18 of them said they had no policy on routine enquiry – the practice of routinely asking female patients about experience of abuse – which is contrary to guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The report also showed that the vast majority of trusts had no policies on offering proactive support to patients who disclose abuse, beyond meeting basic safeguarding responsibilities, while only five services had a policy on actively offering female patients a choice of a female care worker.

Katharine Sacks-Jones, director of Agenda, said: "Too many women facing poor mental health bounce from crisis to crisis unable to get the help they need. The majority have experienced violence and abuse, and many report needing women-specific spaces to feel safe."

The charity is looking to ensure these issues are addressed as part of its newly-launched Women in Mind campaign.

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