Madam, – In 2006, A Vision for Change, the report of the Department of Health’s Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, was published and recommended community-based services.
The implementation has been even slower in the private than the public services because health insurance pays almost exclusively for hospital treatment.
If insurance covered treatment in the community, private psychiatry could move in line with the expert group’s recommendations. This would empty many beds in the private hospitals.
These could be purchased by the public psychiatric system, which tends to be short of beds and has substandard premises. This bed purchasing strategy could be used to close outmoded facilities and obviate the need for new building.
Consideration could even be given to a “centre of excellence” approach to in-patient treatment, closing other small in-patient units. Staff released from 24-hour hospital duty could work in the community. Thus, in spite of the recession and budget deficit, A Vision for Change could become a reality or both public and private patients. – Yours, etc,