Layard added: “Mental health is so central to the health of individuals and of society that it needs its own cabinet minister … The under-treatment of people suffering from mental illnesses is the most glaring case of health inequality in the NHS … Despite the existence of cost-effective treatments it receives only 13% of NHS expenditure. If local NHS commissioners want to improve their budgets, they should all be expanding their provision of psychological therapy.”
… The care services minister, Paul Burstow, said: “Mental ill-health costs £105bn per year and I have always been clear that it should be treated as seriously as physical health problems …
Areas to think about:
- Are you surprised by that the NHS spends 13% of its budget on mental health? Did you think it was more or less?
- Why might addressing mental health create budgetary savings overall?
- Is mental health a priority? How does one approach deciding what aspects of health are priorities? What criteria would you use to decide this?
Discussion
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