Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Earl Howe on 8 February (HL Deb, col. 273), what action they have taken to ensure mental health is treated on a par with other National Health Service services.
Answer
My Lords, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 creates equal status for mental and physical health; the new mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board tasks it with delivering this goal. One of the eight objectives of the mandate is,
“putting mental health on an equal footing with physical health–this means everyone who needs mental health services having timely access to the best available treatment”.
The NHS will be expected to demonstrate progress by March 2015.