CANDIDATE JOINS SHADOW HEALTH TEAM ON MISSION TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

3.01.46pm GMT Fri 7th Mar 2008

Local parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt joined his party's Shadow Parliamentary Health Team on visits in the capital this week, touring a pioneer Forensic Personality Disorder Unit in London's East End and talking to mental health practitioners in children's and adolescent mental health services.

Mr Burt, who is the party's parliamentary health spokesman for the West Midlands said:

"Mental health problems are gradually increasing, particularly amongst children and adolescents. Failure to provide early interventions can be catastrophic, not just for the person concerned, but also for other members of the family and for the wider community.

"Good mental health services do not come cheap, but they pay dividends many times over by helping people back to independent living. For those who do not get help in time the alternative can be a cocktail of poor housing, social isolation and unemployment often leading to alcohol and drug addiction, self abuse and crime.

"Mental health tends to be the Cinderella service within the NHS and there will continue to be increasing pressure on budgets, including here in Worcestershire. I hope to take part in the debate and vote on the party's new health policy at our spring Conference in Liverpool this weekend.

"Our Leader, Nick Clegg has unveiled plans to guarantee everyone suffering from mental health problems treatment starting within thirteen weeks, with an entitlement to get treatment from the private sector, paid for by the NHS, if the deadline is not met.

"A guarantee on personal entitlement will make the NHS responsive to individual needs. This is the best way to bring mental health care out of the shadows and get people the treatment they need."