Mental Health (Hansard, 9 December 2002)

§ Dr. Murrison
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being carried out by his Department into how individual personal choice might be improved on mental health. [82970]

§ Jacqui Smith
There is no research currently being carried out by the Department or the Medical Research Council into how personal choice might be improved on mental health.
However, the implementation of mental health policy, as set out in the National Service Framework and the NHS Plan, will have the effect of increasing the amount of choice for service users.
For example, the 1,000 graduate primary care workers will increase the availability of psychological therapies in the primary care setting, providing a cost-effective alternative to medication for many people with common mental health problems such as depression.
Strengthening specialist community mental health services by the delivery of 50 early intervention teams, 220 assertive outreach teams and 335 crisis resolution teams by 2004 will mean that greater numbers of people with mental health problems will have the option to be treated in their own homes, or alternative accommodation close to home, rather than having to be admitted to hospital in order to gain access to the care they need.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mental health patients were given physical health checks in each health authority in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [86150]

§ Jacqui Smith
The information requested is not collected centrally.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how mental health service users are consulted on the effectiveness of complementary therapies. [86151]

§ Ms Blears
National health service organisations are expected to put in place procedures for seeking the views of users of services they provide that are timely and meaningful to the communities they serve, and for taking service users' views into account alongside other factors when planning future services.
To support the NHS in performing this duty, the system for patient and public involvement has been reformed, and new mechanisms and structures have been developed. The national patient survey programme is an example of one of the mechanisms that is supporting the new system. It is being developed so that in future it will include a focus on the patient experience of mental health service users.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients attending GP clinics he estimates have mental health problems. [86156]
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§ Jacqui Smith
No formal assessment of the proportion of patients with mental health problems attending general practitioner clinics has been undertaken by the Department. However, the NHS plan refers to evidence from independent research suggesting that as many as one in four consultations are with people with mental health problems. More detail about this evidence is presented in guidance published recently for primary care and other services on "Gateway" workers. It is available on the mental health website at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of carers of mental health patients have been given a carer's assessment. [82752]

§ Jacqui Smith
The Department does not hold this information centrally. Assessments are the gateway to carers receiving help. The assessment is the responsibility of the statutory sector to arrange and agencies should work together to ensure that a carer has one assessment which will enable them to access all services. The recently issued guidance, "Developing Services for Carers and Families of People with Mental Illness", will help local mental health services ensure that this is achieved.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support and advice is given to mental health service users to become advocates for other mental health service users. [86153]

§ Jacqui Smith
The national service framework states that specific arrangements should be in place to ensure both service user and carer involvement and advocacy arrangements. Decisions about the involvement of mental health service users as advocates remains the responsibility of local services. However, the NHS plan testifies to the emphasis that the Government are keen to place on the involvement of patients at all levels in the national health service. Furthermore, a proposal in the draft Mental Health Bill provides that where someone is subject to the powers in the Bill they have a right of access to a specialist mental health advocate.
The Department is also providing three year funding for the United Kingdom advocacy network to develop standards in independent advocacy whereby they are establishing programmes of regional training courses for advocates which includes service users.