TWO Fermanagh mothers who have been bereaved by suicide joined Unite the Community Union to present local GP surgeries with copies of a mental health report which calls on the GP profession to take simple steps to improve the treatment of patients experiencing mental health issues.
The report, ‘Beyond a Spin of the Wheel – Ensuring timely and appropriate mental health care from GPs’, recommends that GPs need to focus more on training, appointment systems and reducing reliance on prescription of medication as the main treatment option.
It was written by a coalition of mental health groups from across Northern Ireland, including the Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) human rights organisation which has also been working with Unite the Community Union in relation to the closure of Fermanagh GP surgeries, including Rosslea.
Barry Murray, Lisnaskea, is a member of Unite the Community Union. He explained that the union decided to back the report following their discussions with PPR in relation to the closure of GP surgeries in Fermanagh. Members felt that, given the current GP crisis in Fermanagh, “this report needs to be taken seriously and campaigned for.”
The union members and locals presented a copy of the report to Lisnaskea, Newtownbutler and Enniskillen GP surgeries.
Mr. Murray explained: “Sara Boyce from PPR did a workshop with us on human rights, campaigning, and GP closures. She made us aware of their work in relation to this mental health report and how GP closures were set to exacerbate this problem.”
He pointed to the high rate of suicide in County Fermanagh and said: “All of us in the group have had close friends and relations who have taken their own lives. Sadly, mental illness and suicide are still seen in terms of a stigma and we want to try and change attitudes on this. We believe that the closure of Rosslea surgery, Maguiresbridge surgery and eventually Newtownbutler GP surgery, coupled with the chaos and overworking of GPs in Lisnaskea Health Centre [means that], locally at least, this report needs to be taken seriously.”
He invited a number of people bereaved by suicide to get involved in handing the report over to local GP surgeries. 
“The ladies who took part have suffered terribly as a consequence of suicide,” said Mr. Murray. The local participants were “very glad” that something was being done to raise awareness about mental health and suicide. 
Mr. Murray reports that the women do not directly blame the GPs for the lack of proper mental health support but “they do blame the health planners, government health departments and higher echelons of the Health Service. 
The report recommends mandatory mental health training for GPs and other relevant GP practice staff; giving other health professionals the necessary skills and expertise in mental health to work alongside the GP as part of a multi-disciplinary team; ensuring confidentiality and appropriate responses by establishing a designated appointments number for help in a mental health crisis; a separate appointment system with a certain percentage of all appointments kept aside for people with mental health problems; a ‘red flag’ on a patients’ file so receptionists know that patient has mental health issues; and longer appointments for people with mental health issues.