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Health and Social Care Bill

I shall speak briefly to Amendments Nos. 71 and 88 and to endorse the excellent contribution of the noble Earl, Lord Howe. You could not get a more eloquent description of the situation and the incredible importance of the amendments. I just want to make one point: NICE guidelines are not restricted to medical treatments. I want to refer to the NICE guidance on therapeutic treatments for depression and anxiety. Any service-user survey of people with mental health problems puts right at the top of user priorities the availability of therapeutic psychological treatments. NICE guidance was issued clearly specifying the evidence-based psychological therapies that should be available to people with depression and anxiety. The Government then committed £70 million for a three-year rollout of training across the country to ensure that the evidence-based treatment recommended by NICE would be available to people across the country. No mental health intervention would do more for the general mental health—the well-being, if you like—of people in this country than the implementation of those NICE guidelines. Yet we are finding that it is nigh on impossible to ensure that PCTs across the country take on board the Government’s policy. If I may say so, even the strategic health authorities are producing guidance to PCTs that is all over the place. It is not consistent; it does not fully take on board the Government’s policy. Therefore, even in the information going out to PCTs there is confusion—there is basically anarchy—and I cannot imagine what will happen at the PCT level. I add my few words to those of the noble Earl, Lord Howe, in giving strong support to the amendments. I very much hope that the Government will produce their own amendment to give rise to the outcome that we want.