Norman Lamb has begun a campaign to get a fair deal for mental health services in the NHS.

The Liberal Democrat health minister said:

“People suffering from mental ill health have been let down by the NHS for decades. One in four of us who suffer from a mental illness in our lifetime, but there is an institutional bias against mental health, and it always been that way. Just £1 out of every £9 is spent on treating mental illnesses.

Liberal Democrats are changing that. We’re introducing waiting standards so that patients will have a right to treatment within a defined period of time. People with mental health conditions should have the same rights as someone waiting for an operation.

Next year we start with the first ever waiting standards for psychological therapies for people with conditions such as anxiety and depression and for ‘early intervention in psychosis’.

We just announced £150 million over 5 years for treating young people who suffer from eating disorders – with the aim of introducing a waiting time standard in 2016. It will mean fewer young people end up in hospital because of a failure to get help early enough.”

If you would like to show your support for Norman’s campaign to end the stigma which exists around mental health, then please click here.

Figures published last week by the Department for Education have revealed that attainment levels for primary schools are rising in every subject. In addition, the figures show that disadvantaged pupils are continuing to close the gap on their classmates.

Results taken from more than half a million 11 year olds (at Key Stage 2) show that the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level (level 4) in reading, writing and maths has risen by 3 percentage points to 79% while the proportion achieving the more challenging level 4b is also up – from 63% to 67%. The findings also show that since 2013, 22,000 pupils have improved their reading, writing and maths attainment levels.

Also despite a tougher new threshold, the figure’s show that the number of primaries judged to be below standard has remained stable.

Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat schools minister David Laws stated:

“I am pleased to see that primaries have responded to the challenge of a higher floor standard – we have raised the bar and schools have raised their game.

“It is also encouraging to see the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers continue to narrow and parents, teachers and pupils deserve to be congratulated for their efforts.

“But we know there is more to do and there are still too many areas with simply unacceptable levels of attainment for disadvantaged pupils.

“We are committed to helping schools do more and have increased the pupil premium they receive per pupil to £1,300 so they have the resources they need.”

 

Merry Christmas to everyone who helps, supports and is a member of the Lib Dem team here in Bury. We hope you have a very Happy Christmas and the very best for 2015. We’re taking a break from emails and texts for a couple of weeks, and we’re back in the office on 5 January 2015.

Michael Powell and Ellie Hudspith Bury Campaign Organisers