Mental Health

Wednesday 2nd February 2011 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Andrew Lansley)]

The Government are today publishing “No health without mental health: A Cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages” for England.

At least one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our life, and around half of people with lifetime mental health problems experience their first symptoms before the age of 14. The society-wide costs of mental health problems have recently been estimated at £105 billion, and the costs of treatment alone are expected to double in the next 20 years.

We knew that change is needed and there are two powerful themes to our new approach. The Government must deliver a co-ordinated cross-Government focus, which genuinely supports local action. Equally, local strategies and more equal patients’ voices enable more decisions about mental health to be taken locally based on evidence of effective practice and delivering the best value for our society.

Our approach is based on the principles that Government have laid down for all their health reforms:

patients would be more involved in decisions about their treatment and care so that it is right for them—there will be “no decision about me without me”;

the NHS would be more focused on results that are meaningful to patients by measuring outcomes such as how successful their treatment was and their quality of life, not just processes like waiting list targets;

clinicians would lead the way—GP-led groups will commission services based on what they consider their local patients need, not on what managers feel the NHS can provide;

there will be real democratic legitimacy, with local councils and clinicians coming together to shape local services; and

they will allow the best people to deliver the best care for patients—with those on the front line in control, not Ministers or bureaucrats.

It is clear that the coalition Government’s success will be measured by the nation’s well-being, not just by the state of the economy. We know the conditions that foster well-being and, in recent years, much more about the interconnections between mental health, housing employment and safe communities. This strategy builds on that knowledge and the Government are investing around £400 million on psychological therapies to support people who need them across England. In all, this strategy captures this Government’s ambitious aim to mainstream mental health in England and our commitments include:

making mental health a key priority for Public Health England, the new national public health service;

agree and use a new national measure of well-being;

ensure that mental health remains high on the Government’s agenda by asking the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Public Health to oversee the strategy at national level; and

challenge stigma by supporting and working actively with the “Time to Change” programme.

“No health without mental health: A Cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages” has been placed in the Library. Copies are available to hon. Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office.