It's Bedlam In Here!

Last night was the second instalment of Channel 4's Bedlam series which gives an insight into the lives of the staff and patientsworking in South London & Maudsley's NHS Trust's Mental Health services. This episodefocused on Lambeth Hospital's Triage unit which assesses patients who are admitted to them and make the crucial decision as towhether the patient is discharged to be cared for in the community or whether they are admitted to one of the longer stay beds.

In my opinion the programme gave a valuableinsight into the workings of an acute mental health ward and the everyday experiences of staff and patients. So much of what goes on'Behind The Scenes' in mental health is woefully unreported and it was incredibly refreshing to see staff & doctors portrayed as professionals with the best interests of the patients at heart. The programme also dealt very sensitively with the problems faced by the patients including Rupert a gentleman suffering from severe bipolar with psychosis. Instead of turning Rupert's story into a dramatic piece and sensationalising his symptoms he was presented in an almost clinical manner which was crucially non-invasive. Sometimes I feel the camera crewpushes the subjects of these films so hard and I wonder what the long-term effect on them is.

I really think more of these programmes are needed to shed further light on how mental health affects not only the sufferer but their family, friends and show the interactions between patient and health worker. Even I, who makes it my business to know about mental health in an admittedly very amateur way, learnt something new from this episode– about how triage works and the different Mental Health Act 'Sections' that can be applied in a patient's best interests.

The programme also highlighted the progress made in mental health care since Bedlam's heyday when Victorian folk would pay to view the poor souls incarcerated and mistreated in there. Whilst there is still much work to be done with regards to mental health, on occasion, being treated as a modern day freak show we can draw comfort from the fantastic advances in medication that have been made in the last few decades. These advances mean that people like me with more mild complaints can function and work in the community and live a life. Coupled with talking therapies I'm hoping that more people will have a better quality of life rather than the cycle of admissions to hospital and secure units.

Love Jen

XxxxX