I've pinched this graphic from the Time to Change website. It's part of a new campaign for 2012 to try and get people talking more openly about mental health in an effort to reduce discrimination. I think it's a great illustration of how we can get a bit wound up about how to approach talking to someone who's experiencing mental health problems, when often a simple 'hi, how are you feeling today' is all that's needed. You can make a pledge to talk about mental health on the Time to Change website.
As readers of this blog may know, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust is in the process of relocating psychiatric inpatient services from Edale House at the Central Manchester Hospital (MRI) site to Park House at North Manchester General Hospital. We've always been concerned about the impact that this move will have on carers and service users in terms of increased transport times. A representative from the Trust came to our meeting last month to update us on plans for transport and the Trust's latest newsletter contains the following update on the service user and carer transport sub-group: "The group last met on 6 February and it was decided that another visitor questionnaire should be undertaken to make sure that we make the right decisions about transport. It was also agreed that more engagement and communication with service users is necessary and the service users and carers who attend the meetings will support this....

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