Discussing bipolar disorder with Bipolar UK at the Houses of Parliament
Bernie, Community Development Lead for South Devon, and Paul Tully, Torquay Primary Care Network Clinical Lead, recently attended an event at the Houses of Parliament hosted by Bipolar UK. It featured several speakers sharing their experiences of living with bipolar disorder, including what has helped — and not helped — with their health.
Events like these are crucial in improving conditions and care for people living with bipolar disorder and other serious mental illnesses (SMIs). The event was open, honest, and emotional, with multiple speakers from different backgrounds sharing their lived experience of bipolar. The prominent theme was unfortunately what we hear with all SMIs, namely:
- the average rate of diagnosis (ten years, in the case of bipolar disorder),
- long waiting lists, which often lead to suicide attempts and hospitalisation, and
- reports that community peer support services were where they felt most supported, but there are not enough of them, and
- reports of the nationwide similarity of poor service provision for those living with the condition.
Bipolar UK is on a mission to create an integrated care pathway for those living with bipolar disorder and their carers. It's essential that we act on the Policy Document launched at the event. Mainstream mental health services now have to 'step up' and find ways to radically improve its service to the community it serves. We must act on the Community Mental Health Framework and ensure that it's embedded into daily practice and do all we can to hear the message from Bipolar UK.