Omissions mar NHS report, say charities

The glowing annual report on the state of the NHS published last
week fails to give a true indication of the state of services for
the mentally ill, mental health charities say.

Rethink said mental health services were not measured “by the same
standards as the rest of the NHS” in the report by NHS chief
executive Nigel Crisp.

It said the targets on waiting times in accident and emergency did
not include people with mental health problems because of a
shortage of psychiatrists on call.

Chief executive Cliff Prior said: “The government set a target of
reducing waiting times for treating psychosis, but figures have
never been published on it.”

Niall Dickson, chief executive of independent health care charity
the King’s Fund, said: “More needs to be done for people with
depression and other mental health problems.”