Psychological Therapies

Mike Thornton Excerpts

Wednesday 16th October 2013 Westminster Hall

[Mike Thornton (Eastleigh) (LD)]

I am glad to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen and Rowley Regis (James Morris) and the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), whose points were particularly relevant. I shall try not to repeat them too often in my speech—that might mean reducing its length slightly, people will be pleased to hear.

When I was first elected, a new aspect of my life was the size and complexity of the casework that came my way. Much of it I expected and was familiar with, having been a councillor, but the one facet that surprised—no, shocked—me was the obvious failure in our duty to those with mental health issues. The next surprise was to discover that, in fact, the situation has improved over the past few years, and for that I pay tribute to the Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), and his predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Burstow).

Today, we have the news that Dr Martin Baggaley, commenting on the results of a BBC freedom of information request, said that we are in “a real crisis” regarding the provision of mental health beds in England. My hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk, the Minister, is reported by the BBC to agree that that is unacceptable.

At least, however, the BBC was able to obtain figures for the number of beds that have been lost. What would the response have been had the local trusts said, “Sorry, we don’t keep such figures. We have no idea of the number of beds available”? In another possible scenario, one of us asks the Secretary of State for Health, “What is the waiting time for the treatment of breast cancer or leukaemia?”, but the answer is, “I don’t know and I can’t find out.” Would not the whole House erupt in outraged uproar? Would not the press ask how proper provision for those patients can be provided in such circumstances?

Without adequate data and reporting, the needs of millions of ill people cannot be addressed—people with mental health issues. Without decent information, resources cannot be allocated correctly, results properly analysed or effective treatment provided. Yet for much of mental health provision, there is insufficient knowledge of whom we are treating, how we are treating them and how long they are waiting for treatment. As my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen and Rowley Regis mentioned, we do not have minimum waiting times for much psychological therapy.

Few data are collated for the national policy framework. The data that we have focus on IAPT services and the rates for early mortality. My hon. Friend mentioned how early treatment of mental health problems can stop far worse developments, but without proper data we cannot understand that.

[Seema Malhotra (Feltham and Heston) (Lab/Co-op)]

The hon. Gentleman is making an important point about early intervention in mental health conditions. Does he agree that early intervention does not just stop an individual from cascading to the point at which their life becomes dysfunctional, but has a tremendous economic impact in preventing time off work and the difficulties that that causes for employers?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mike Thornton]

I agree. There is no doubt that early intervention for all forms of illness usually produces good results, and saves large amounts of money both in relation to rates of people off work and the costs of treating them in the NHS. That can be seen for cancer and heart failure, as well as mental health issues, so I entirely agree with the hon. Lady.

In my constituency, I have been particularly impressed by Solent Mind’s talking therapy programme. That IAPT programme has been effective and easy to access, and figures show that it has provided access to a huge majority within 28 days of a referral. I am not sure whether that is replicated across the country; I have been told that probably it is not.

Such IAPT services are invaluable, but there are disturbing reports that funds are provided for them with money taken away from other mental health provision. My hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen and Rowley Regis mentioned some examples, so I will not repeat them, but it is a bit like increasing funds for bowel cancer care by taking cash from ovarian cancer treatment. I wonder if this morning’s BBC report reflects what is happening in beds being lost to provide money for other therapies and services.

Public Health England and NHS England have announced the development of a mental health intelligence network, which has the potential to link all existing data and map data gaps. However, given the consistent failure to give mental health provision the same status as that for so-called physical health, there is a real risk that the network will not have the resources needed to provide the data and analysis that are so urgently required.

If we are to provide adequately for the one in four of us who suffers from some form of mental illness and for their families who suffer with them, I urge the Minister to ensure that all local commissioning groups and trusts treat information regarding all forms of mental illness with the same parity of esteem as that relating to physical illnesses. I again urge Members to remember that if someone is ill, they are ill. There would be no such lack of data if the absurd, anachronistic and artificial distinction between physical and mental illness did not exist.