Electronic Letters to:
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eLetters: Electronic letters published:
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Discovering the true value of partnership with the Voluntary Sector
- Philip A Sugarman (3 July 2007)
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Philip A Sugarman, CEO and Medical Director St Andrew's Healthcare
Send letter to journal:
psugarman{at}standrew.co.uk Philip A Sugarman
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Tait and Shah hail the benefits of partnership in the community with the voluntary sector, and outline challenges for the future. They acknowledge that most psychiatrists already have practical experience of working with charities providing mental health care, but overlook the wider context, hinted at only by a reference to the Social Market Foundation. The voluntary sector has innovated in the provision of care environments throughout the journey of psychiatry from alienism to social inclusion, driven by strong founding values. For example, the Retreat at York, St Andrew's in Northampton, and Together (formerly MACA) are legacies of 18th and 19th century philanthropy and social reform. These charities are now working with MIND, RETHINK, Turning Point, Richmond Fellowship, Carr Gomm and others, under the umbrella of the Voluntary Sector Mental Health Provider Forum (see mhpf.org.uk/members.asp), to improve provision for service users. It is important to understand the Government's strategic intent for partnership working in mental health - to create better value through inclusion of not-for-profit providers. Shah and Tait note that competition between the voluntary and statutory sectors can be a bar to partnership, and suggest that that some mental health professionals see voluntary sector community staff as "amateurs". However Government agencies have pressed competitive re-tendering and cost improvements on these charities, whilst the national initiatives listed by Shah and Tait fail to deliver on the principle of full cost recovery, leaving providers struggling to meet their costs through fundraising. In an ideal world the Government would have a longer-term view, and see how best to enable the "value chain" between the public and voluntary sectors, to use a modern market term which covers co-operative relationships between companies. This would require a higher resourcing level, just as the Government has provided to kick start private sector healthcare initiatives such as PFI and ISTCs. This would accelerate the development of the partnerships envisaged by Tait and Shah, bringing in the long-term better, innovative and more efficient services. Nevertheless it is clear the Voluntary Sector has a growing role in the future of psychiatric care. Conflict of interest The author is a Trustee of the following charities: The Mental Health Provider Forum (charity registration pending) St Andrew's Healthcare (formerly St Andrew's Hospital) The Royal College of Psychiatrists Until 2002, Together (formerly MACA) |
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