Anti-depressants: Cost, Risks and Ramifications

Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford Excerpts

Wednesday 11th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I would be very pleased to write further to the noble Baroness. This is a very important point about support for women during the menopause. However, a prescription is made only after discussion with the patient about it and other alternatives, and the clinician has to follow and comply with the guidelines. Patient choice is absolutely key here. Every individual is an individual, and only what is appropriate should be prescribed—if needed.

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford (Con)]

My Lords, as the Minister pointed out, SSRIs can be the right choice for some patients, but for there to be patient choice, there has to be the capacity for those therapeutic options. In April 2024, around 1 million people were recorded as waiting for mental health services, 340,000 of whom were children, and over 100,000 had waited for more than a year. The Government have pledged to provide an additional 8,500 mental health staff. Can the Minister say what she will do to increase patient choice and build that capacity?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We have already made a number of commitments, but the noble Baroness is quite right to observe the excessive numbers on the waiting list. We are deeply aware of the distress and continuing difficulty that this causes for many. The noble Lord, Lord Darzi, in his independent investigation, confirmed that about 1 million people are waiting for mental health support as of April 2024. Moving to the 10-year plan will be an opportunity to put mental health services in a different place. In addition to the commitments that the noble Baroness has mentioned, we are providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and providing open-access Young Futures hubs.