Grasping the nettle on mental health: can the government live up to its declared intention to ensure services are adequate to support mentally ill people living in the community?

Care in the community has not been successful in all areas, and two thirds of mental health expenditure in England and Wales is still going to hospital-based services. There needs to be further money invested in community care services and the Association of Directors of Social Services' mental health strategy group is to look at whether there are sufficient mental health services in place before the closure of long-stay hospitals.