GPs: Anti-depressants and Alcohol Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Lord Kamall
Main Page: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Kamall's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(2 years, 1 month ago)
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Lord Markham (Con)
On this occasion, that is probably a question about which I need to write back to the noble Lord to give him the detail on it.
Lord Kamall (Con)
My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Wheatcroft, alluded to the fact that sometimes patients would be more effectively treated through social prescribing, or cultural and arts prescribing. What advice is given to GPs to make them aware of cultural, art and music therapy in solving or tackling depression?
Lord Markham (Con)
I agree that we have to make sure that GPs are equipped with the full range of tools for the job and the full range of knowledge. We are probably all aware of some instances of GPs who are very aware and progressive in this space, and others where they do not have that same level of information. We are putting a £2.3 billion increase in 2023-24 into the mental health space to treat an extra 2 million people. We need to make sure that we have a range of help that we can put in place for these people.