Press Release

Comedy and Collies lined up for mental health wards

Release date: October 5th 2006

Comedy evenings and visiting pets are just two of the 75 ideas in a new publication from the Star Wards project, being launched on October 5th at the House of Commons. Star Wards is working to improve the quality of time and treatment outcomes of patients on acute mental health wards. A national survey by nfpSynergy, commissioned specially for Star Wards, shows strong public backing for a wide range of supports which are currently unavailable to the average in-patient. These include counselling, advice from a psychologist, creative therapies, physical exercise and support from other patients.

Leading human rights lawyer Cherie Booth QC and Prof Louis Appleby, the national director of mental health are launching this dynamic new resource. Prof Louis Appleby writes: "The great thing about this publication is that it is a recipe book for doing things right rather than another list of what is wrong. It can be a real asset to staff and service users working together to improve their local service."

Star Wards was set up by Bright's director, Marion Janner, following her experiences as an acute inpatient. She says: "While I had a very positive and healing time at St Ann's hospital, Tottenham, I later became aware that this isn't the case for most inpatients elsewhere. Sadly, the norm is that despite the efforts of many excellent and committed staff, patients have almost nothing to do during the day. This is both a dreadful missed opportunity to accelerate patients' recoveries and the cause of widespread dissatisfaction among inpatients, carers and indeed staff themselves."

For more press information or interviews please contact Marion Janner

Notes to editor:

1. Star Wards is a project of the campaigning charity Bright - www.Star Wards.org.uk

2. The publication includes the context and evidence base for Star Wards' ideas. It features an article on making mental health wards great places to work, by Henry Stewart, Chief Executive of Happy, who were rated the 11th best place to work in the UK, in the 2006 Financial Times Best Workplaces list. The article on applying the international lessons in best practice in customer service is contributed by Phil Dourado, author of Seven Secrets of Inspired Leaders.

3. The not for profit sector think tank, nfpSynergy carried out a survey for Star Wards in July 2006. It was a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 16+ in Britain, with the fieldwork conducted online as part of nfpSynergy's Charity Awareness Monitor.

4. The survey, showed that the public strongly endorse Star Wards' call for a full daily programme of talking and creative therapies, physical exercise, recreation and social activities. The results reveal that there is widespread recognition of the need for a holistic approach to treating people who are acutely mentally ill, and that the public have progressive views about the ability of people in this state to provide effective support to each other.