Health minister Rosie Winterton has branded mental health care for black and minority ethnic communities as unacceptable and discriminating.
In a letter to strategic health authorities published yesterday, Winterton says she is “disappointed” with progress towards appointing the 500 community development workers across the country needed to implement its Delivering Race Equality programme.
The Department of Health admits the figure will not be reached by the target date of December this year and has put the date back a year.
Winterton also admits the department has not “done enough to communicate how high a priority the BME programme is,” but promises that will change.
Related articles
www.communitycare.co.uk/mentalhealth
Department of Health's record on race 'probably Whitehall's worst'