§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which and reasons why people with mental health problems self-fund their(a) medication, (b) treatment and (c) care. [140108]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department of Health has made no assessment of the extent to which and the reasons why people with mental health problems seek treatment and care within the independent sector.
However, we are concerned to ensure that all those who are assessed as needing treatment and care should be able to receive it within the national health service at the appropriate time.
This is why we have made mental health a priority for reform and have increased investment in mental health services. It is also why we welcomed the report published by Mind, entitled "The Hidden Cost of Mental Health", as a helpful contribution to our understanding of the needs of people with mental] health problems and why we are engaged in an extensive public consultation to consider what more we can do to improve choice, responsiveness and equity in services.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of seasonal affective disorder there were in each winter since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [139869]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department of Health does not capture central information about the numbers of people with depression that varies seasonally. Diagnosis of depression is a matter for the responsible clinician taking into account all the various factors that may contribute. Although seasonal affective disorder is not listed in the International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (ICD-10), we do understand that there are a number of people that appear to be affected in this way. Whatever the causes, and we do not fully understand them all, serious depression is a matter of1394W great concern to those delivering mental health services. Improving mental health services is a priority for the Government.