Posted: Monday 12 July 2010
The Government has today (12 July) outlined proposals to overhaul the structure of the NHS including transferring the responsibility for commissioning to GPs (1).
Commenting on the changes, Mind’s Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:
The litmus test of the new look NHS will be whether it meets the needs of people with mental health problems. Historically mental health services have been a soft target or sidelined in structural shake-ups so it’s vital that in making these changes mental health does not lose out.
As the Government develops its proposals for mental health, we hope it will put patient involvement and choice at the heart of these plans. We have already made significant progress in mental health and the time is right for it to be put on an equal footing with physical health and in the mainstream of the new NHS.
Transferring powers for commissioning to GPs presents an opportunity for them to develop mental health services that meet local needs and give patients the choice they want. However, GPs currently lack the specialist mental health knowledge and training to understand the complexities of mental health commissioning. They should look to the experts and tap in to the personal knowledge of patients and mental health charities about what works.
The Government must also be careful that these proposals do not create a micro-postcode lottery. There are already huge variations in the standard and types of mental health care patients receive depending on where they live. For example, access to talking therapies remains patchy, with people waiting months and sometimes years for certain treatments while antidepressant prescribing has soared. Any structural changes must not widen inequalities.
GPs already have a heavy workload and asking them to add commissioning mental health treatments on to their to do lists will be an extra burden. It's crucial that these new responsibilities don't cut the amount of time they spend talking to patients.
(1) Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS, Department of Health, 12 July 2010 http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm