§ 12. Dr. Vincent Cable (Twickenham)If he will make a statement on the resources allocated by the NHS to mental health. [131861]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)In 1999–2000, nearly £3.5 billion was spent on mental ealth services in the NHS. The NHS plan set out further proposals for investment in mental health services, including new teams for crisis support and primary care, and for young people.
§ Dr. CableIs the Minister aware of the report that was published over the recess by the Zito Trust, which 125 documented the enormous obstacles facing the severely mentally ill in getting access to the new generation of anti-psychotic drugs which limit the side effects of their treatment? Can he explain why only 12 per cent. of the country's 250,000 schizophrenics have access to these drugs? Is the reason clinical or financial?
§ Mr. HuttonThe hon. Gentleman, who takes a great interest in these matters, and rightly so, will be aware that 126 when we published the national health service framework for mental health, we made it clear that our first priority was to improve services for people with severe and enduring mental illness. That is exactly the right clinical, ethical and moral priority for us to have reached. The use of the atypical anti-psychotics has, as the hon. Gentleman will know, been referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, and we are awaiting its guidance on the wider use of those drugs.