Monthly Archives: November 2013
Minister calls for new mental health service targets
The introduction of hospital-style treatment targets would help address the “institutional bias” against mental health services, a health minister said.
Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk. Picture: Denise Bradley
Adam Gretton Health correspondent Saturday, November 2, 2013
7:00 AM
The introduction of hospital-style treatment targets would help address the “institutional bias” against mental health services, a health minister said.
Norman Lamb said he was determined to address the imbalance between physical health and mental health by bringing in new targets by the time of the next general election.
The North Norfolk MP and health minister yesterday said that hospitals had targets to treat patients needing non-emergency surgery within 18 weeks. However there were no similar targets or a payment by results system for mental health trusts.
Mr Lamb said that the introduction of targets would help to focus more NHS commissioner funding towards mental health services and it was “totally frustrating” how long it was taking to change things.
