MP : CONSULTATIONS ARE NO CURE FOR MENTAL ILLNESS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 17th Oct 2003

Sue Doughty MP for Guildford said today "Consultations on mental health services are overlooking patient care and in effect re arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Commenting on the discussion and consultation on mental health services in Surrey and North East Hampshire she said. "This document tells me nothing about whether mental health patients will get better treatment. It doesn't tell me if they will get the right treatment, it doesn't tell me if their family and carers will be consulted more, it doesn't tell me how the voluntary sector will play their part. It is a document that talks about the strategic direction of travel of services, fails to understand that for most service users access to any service in their own area, when they need it is difficult".

Sue also criticised the consultation process she said "Although meetings were held around Surrey and Hampshire poor publicity meant that very few people attended meetings and so the voices of users, volunteers and carers will not have been heard.