HL Deb 28 April 2003 vol 647 cc446-8

2.58 p.m.

Lord Chan

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In so doing, I declare that I am patron of the United Kingdom Chinese Mental Health Association.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the National Institute of Mental Health report Inside Outside on improving mental health services for black and minority ethnic communities in England.

Baroness Andrews

My Lords, the Department of Health has already instigated a programme of activities to improve the care and treatment of black and minority ethnic mental health service users, their carers, families and wider communities. That includes investing in 500 community development workers by 2006 to strengthen community engagement.

Lord Chan

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer, but the report clearly states that mainstream services continue to fail ethnic minority patients. What will the Government do to ensure that mental health organisations prioritise clinical governance, care standards and workforce composition?

Finally, when will the Minister respond to the growing anxiety and mental distress in the Chinese community about severe acute respiratory syndrome?

Baroness Andrews

My Lords, perhaps I may start by paying tribute to the noble Lord for his excellent and consistent work to bring to the fore the problems suffered by black and other ethnic minorities in mental health services. He has played an outstanding role. I assure him not only that the Government have read with great appreciation the report Inside Outside but that the implementation framework will be presented later this year. The report is still being consulted on. We expect to have the implementation framework very shortly and to have it in action to do the things that he has already suggested—better models of care, better pathways into care for black and ethnic minorities, who are sorely disadvantaged, and addressing the issues of clinical governance.

As a Statement on SARS will be made later this afternoon, I shall be very happy to answer the noble Lord's final question in that context.

Lord Clement-Jones

My Lords, I join the noble Baroness in congratulating Professor Sashidharan on the report, which is excellent. But many of its implications are very broad as regards cross-governmental working. The noble Baroness mentioned the allocation of funds for community development workers as one of the key recommendations in the report. Is that to happen this year, and has the process already started?

Baroness Andrews

My Lords, yes, it is highly significant that Professor Sashidharan made that a priority. The priority was driven by the black and ethnic communities themselves, because they see it as the essential way of getting people into mental health care and prevention services as quickly and as easily as possible. We expect the process to start immediately. The figure of 500 will take us up to 2006. We hope, and the black and ethnic communities are confident, that we will be able to recruit the sorts of workers who can also take advantage of experience in other fields; for example, in promoting social inclusion.

Earl Howe

My Lords, can the noble Baroness give us any news on the long-awaited mental health Bill?

Baroness Andrews

My Lords, we will bring forward the mental health Bill when parliamentary time allows.

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