Stop Press: Mental health services improving
April 30, 2007Well, delusion has once again got the better of the Prime Minister as he claims that the NHS is on the right track and that cardiac care, cancer care and mental health services have improved over the last 10 years. Now credit where credit is due, I believe that there have been improvements in cardiac and cancer care, though whether they are in proportion to the money spent is another question-don’t forget this graph from the ONS showing that productivity in the NHS has fallen by 4%, with output increasing by 28%, while costs have increased by nearly 300%: Is this value for money?
But Mental Health? I hope Michelle Tempest has been listening to the PM as I expect she will be able to give a more informed view, but my perspective is that we are seeing terrible problems with mental health at the moment as budgets are cut to feed more glamorous specialties: see HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for a few examples chosen at random from the plethora of stories available. Last year a report by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health found that:
“More than half of England’s mental health trusts have seen money diverted away from them to pay for deficits in other local health services.”
So, Tony, in your self delusional world, please tell me how exactly you think mental health services have been improved? No, let me guess, Patsy “The NHS has had it’s best year ever” Halfwitt told you didn’t she?
And just to remind ourselves exactly what Labour has achieved in the NHS in 10 years lets look at this cartoon, originally I think from the Daily Telegraph, now reissued by Dr Rant:
Tony also had this to say:
“I’ve been through this so many times, I just think its really tough while it’s happening. What we’ve just got to do in a sense is hold our nerve,”
Well do it this time Tony: Resign and take Patricia with you!
Mens Sana? 
It really is quite shocking how the Government lies so blatantly on these issues. Tell me, is the conultant from the hospital in Bedfordshire still standing as an MP under his own political party as he was so sickened by all the closures and cutbacks. It’s a pity there aren’t two of you so you can do the same.
Yes, Barry Monk is planning on standing for “Save Bedford Hospital” (which is odd, as Bedford isn’t really threatened with closure!). Trouble is I suspect he may hurt the Conservatives as much as the others, which in the end will be counterproductive when it comes to bringing down this government. The Electoral maths is so much in their favour anyway that the last thing we want is single issue candidates splitting the opposition vote.
I think in the unlikely event of my deciding to enter the public eye, I might not stand as an independent!
Hi Menssana – I think it would be great if you added your voice to the public eye. As for mental health trusts, there has been a big shift to ‘care in the community’ and money has gone/disappeared into this, and wards have been forced to close as a result.
As for the words that come out of the mouths of Tony and Patricia about this issue, they are painful to hear. Are so out of touch, or is it a fixed false belief? But there is no excuse for the decline in service provision or letting patients suffer.
Michelle