Mind comments on Lord Darzi report

Today Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of mental health charity Mind, commented on Lord Darzi's interim review of the NHS:

"The proposals outlined in Lord Darzi's interim review present an excellent opportunity to put mental health services at the heart of NHS plans. For too long mental health has been treated as an add-on service. Even now, patients with mental health problems struggle to access the same level of care as patients with a physical health problem."

"Offering services tailored to the needs of the individual is a step in the right direction, as currently patients are given little choice about the type of care they receive. In order to move forward, the NHS must listen to the voice of the mental health service users at the next stage of consultation."

"If the NHS plans to make services equally available to all, they must tackle geographical inequalities in mental health care. There is still a postcode lottery in access to talking therapies, with waiting lists of up to four years in some parts of the country."

"If properly implemented, we hope these recommendations can lay the foundations for mental health services that are appropriate to the individual, and accessible to all."

***ENDS***