About the project

Last year over 100,000 people in England were admitted to hospital for a mental health problem. The experiences they make in mental health wards varies from person to person. It depends on the trust and unit they are receiving care from.

Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and various lockdowns, mental health units were forced to adapt the way they operate.

This is why I have started this project. My name is Vanessa Fillis and I am currently studying for an MA in Data Journalism at Birmingham City University. I have previously reported on inequalities in mental health services, for example how thousands of mental health patients are experiencing homelessness.

Throughout this project I will look at activities in mental health wards, hospital leave, and inappropriate out of area placements. You can subscribe to my newsletter below to not miss anything.

I firmly believe that there needs to be more awareness for mental illness and this is what I strive to achieve through my reporting.

Subscribe to my newsletter

As part of the project, I have started a newsletter around all things mental health.

Do you want to keep up to date about mental health news? Read exclusive bits of interviews? Get the latest data updates on mental health hospital admissions, referrals, waiting times or out of area placements?

Take a look at previous issues and subscribe now.

Get in touch

If you have any story ideas, feel like there is a topic that needs to be addressed or simply want a chat, send me an email or message me on Twitter.