HC Deb 10 June 2003 vol 406 cc839-40W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the pilot scheme in Lambeth to raise awareness of and treatment for young men suffering from depression. [115095]

Mr. Hutton

I am informed that there is no specific scheme in Lambeth, which particularly targets young men with depression. However, I understand that there are a number of projects and services which contain elements of such a scheme but all can be accessed by both genders. Some of these services includeA Health Promotion Team based at South London and Maudsley National Health Service Trust which, as part of its programme, offers training in mental health awareness aimed at reducing stigma and increasing willingness to access services. Access to practice-based counselling services by most Lambeth general practitioners to which they can refer people with mild—moderate depression. The Lambeth Early Onset (LEO) service aimed at reaching people in the early stagesof a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia to help prevent deterioration in their mental health. The service is for young people aged 18–35. 24 hour access to mental health services through the accident and emergency based psychiatric liaison service and home treatment team, both located at St.Th Dmas' Hospital.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to conduct a tracking investment exercise to establish where funds promised for the development of mental health services are being utilised. [117571]

Jacqui Smith

With the publication of the mental heath national service framework (NSF) a local structure was developed to support delivery, the local implementation teams. There are 166 of these across England, and they are teams who represent the whole of the local mental heath community.

Since the mental health NSF was published, there has been an annual assessment of progress. That assessment has developed and now contains the following elements:

  • self assessment of progress by local services;
  • service mapping; and
  • financial mapping.

Through these elements the investment in developing mental health services is tracked.

Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional(a) crisis resolution teams, (b) assertive outreach teams, (c) community gateway staff, (d) staff to give breaks to carers and strengthen carer support, (e) court assessment schemes and (f) medium secure services have been established in the South Wiltshire area of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in 2003–04; whether there is now a full community mental health team in South Wiltshire; and by how much the mental health budget will change in South Wiltshire this year. [114671]

Ms Blears

The information requested is not collected centrally. Advice from the Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is that in the South Wiltshire area of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership National Health Service Trust in 2003–04there have been no additional crisis resolution teams although plans are in place to develop this service; there has been one additional assertive outreach team: there has been no additional community gateway staff, although this element of the service is subject to review; there have been no additional court assessment schemes as the SHA believes the current court assessment scheme meets the need in the area; there have been no additional medium secure services as the SHA believes there are already sufficient medium secure beds in the South Wiltshire area; the primary care trust and local authority fund a carers support organisation in South Wiltshire through direct grant support and use of the carers grant; and the South Wiltshire area has a full community mental health team in place. The SHA advises that the mental health budget in South Wiltshire is expected to increase by £382,000 in 2003–04.