End discrimination against mental health patients, says local Euro-MP

12.00.00pm GMT Wed 17th Sep 2008

Local Euro-MP and equality campaigner Liz Lynne has given strong backing

to new LibDem policies to ensure equal treatment for patients with mental

health needs as compared to those with physical needs.

The plan agreed by the conference in Bournemouth today would also ensure

greater safety by ending the practice of accommodating men and women, and

adults and minors, on the same mental health ward.

Speaking at the conference today, Liz Lynne MEP, who is Vice-President of

the European Parliament?s Employment and Social Affairs Committee said:

'The obsession with payment by results and waiting time targets has meant

that mental health trusts have effectively suffered cuts in their funding,

which has led to some services for the most vulnerable being cut. Leaving

funding and services for mental health patients fall behind those of other

patients is discrimination pure and simple.

'It is totally unacceptable for instance that some patients are given'

drugs when they don't need them, because they need therapy but there

aren't enough psychological therapists to go round. This in turn has a

knock-on effects for the benefits system - with more therapists, the

million plus people on incapacity benefit because of mental health

difficulties could be supported back into appropriate work.'

On mixed sex and junior and adult wards, Liz continued:

'The Labour government pledged to end mixed sex wards in 1997 when they

came to power and again in 2001 and yet it still hasn?t happened. It is

shocking that mixed sex wards and wards accommodating both adults and

under-18s still exist in mental health hospitals, in spite of the risk to

vulnerable patients. Our plan would genuinely see an end to this.'

A report from the Mental Health Act Commission earlier this year warned

that women and young people are thought to be at greater risk of sexual

abuse if placed on mixed sex adult wards. It found that basic standards of

safety and dignity were not always met in mental health care.

ENDS

Notes:

More information at:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/liberal-democrats-back-plans-for-equality-and-fairness-in-mental-health-care-552366;show

Liz Lynne MEP authored a key 2007 joint report for the European Parliament

on Social Protection, Social Inclusion and Social Reality Stocktaking

which, amongst other things called for increased sharing of best practice

among EU Member States in the fight against social exclusion. Please find

the report here:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A6-2007-0400+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN