This has been a long year! In the world of mental health there have been continuing challenges – with concerns ranging from a lack of parity of esteem to the impacts of austerity and recession.
We are also still processing the fallout from COVID-19 and the inquiry is rolling on in an unedifying manner with seemingly little learned.
We wished happy 40th birthday to our Mental Health Act, which has not been fit for purpose for many years; and despite service users and staff giving recommendations on the draft Mental Health Bill stage last year, it was absent from this year’s King’s Speech and is not a current government priority.