Mental Health Services Ignored Again

9.01.00am GMT Tue 10th Nov 2009

Graham Oakes has criticised the latest government health initiative as being a "pre-election gimmick".

The government will today announce proposals to give patients the legal right to free private care if they do not get the treatment they need from the NHS within an 18-week period.

Graham Oakes, a Nurse, supports the idea that people should have a right to have their health and care needs met, however he believes certain areas will miss out.

"These proposals will not cover certain areas, including non-target led areas such as mental health. These vital services can not be missed again. Many local people rely on our hard pressed mental health professionals and these proposals are a snub to the."

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "It's absolutely right that every person should have the right to private treatment, paid for by the NHS, if their local hospital can't provide it when they should. But the Government's announcement has a gaping hole in it for those who still aren't covered by the current target regime, such as mental health patients."

"It's increasingly clear that the other two parties have little to say when it comes to improving the NHS."

"While the Government is happy to poach Liberal Democrat ideas, the Tories would remove any mechanism to guarantee patients access to treatment and return to the enormous waiting times we saw the last time they were in government."