Over the next four years an extra £400m is planned for talking therapies by the Lib Dem / Tory coalition government. This should mean an extra 1.2 m people suffering from depression and anxiety will be treated rather than prescribed drugs or left with no treatment. Part of this is aim for early intervention with kids where apparently around half of kids who fail to complete secondary education have mental ill health. Amazingly 90% of prisoners have mental health problems.
Sadly this will only translate into around 500,000 people fully recovering with others showing various levels of relief from their symptoms.
It’s hoped this will result overall in £270m in savings to health-care and with people cured around £480m in extra taxes and welfare savings.
This will see another Lib Dem election pledge fulfilled but more importantly so many more people without disability from poor mental health plaguing their lives and the lives of people around them.
LOL, you libdems really make me laugh! One of your main attack lines against Labour during the election and after is that they’re statists and control freaks, etc but then up pops Nick Clegg announcing £400m for mental health which will cure 500,000 people – how Stalinist can you get!!! – sadly in reality this money isn’t new it is merely being recycled from other budgets, maybe that is why PCTs around the country aren’t funding hip replacements or cataract operations. And to top it off when a respected doctor and long time mental health adviser to health dept. questioned in the media where the money was coming he was immediately sacked – http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/07/david-richards-health-adviser-sacked
In 5 years time Clegg will be liquidating people who stray off message!!!
Hi Cat,
Glad you’re enjoying the site.
I’m also really concerned about the health reforms. My GP practice hasn’t even grasped the idea of transaction costs so giving them many £10m’s to allocated for patient health is worrying. Also the potential for further opening of the backdoor to privatising the health service.
“I’m also really concerned about the health reforms. My GP practice hasn’t even grasped the idea of transaction costs so giving them many £10m’s to allocated for patient health is worrying. Also the potential for further opening of the backdoor to privatising the health service.”
oooo common ground maybe there is hope for a “progressive coalition” after all. Pity all your MPs are voting with the government to implement Lansley’s mad plans.