Rethink: The listening is over, now it’s time to act

Monday, 13 June 2011 11:26 AM

The listening is over, now it’s time to act

As the Future Forum publishes the results of the NHS ‘listening exercise’ today (Monday, 13th June), leading health charity Rethink Mental Illness, says it’s vital the government acts on the recommendations and seizes this opportunity to make real and substantial changes to the Bill.

Rethink Mental Illness is leading a coalition of 11 health charities (1) who are campaigning together for changes to the health Bill, which will ensure the new NHS is accountable to all the patients.

Rethink Mental Illness CEO Paul Jenkins says: “Over the past few weeks we’ve brought hundreds of patients face-to-face with ministers as part of the listening exercise and I have seen first hand David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Andrew Lansley spending a lot of time listening to their concerns.

“From what I’ve seen it’s all looked pretty genuine, but the real test will be whether the government seize this opportunity to translate the changes recommended in the report into amendments to the Bill.

“We look forward to seeing the final report today and very much hope it puts the issues causing most concern amongst health charities at the top of the agenda.

“We want to see ordinary members of the public sitting on GP commissioning boards. We want ‘GP commissioning’ to be scrapped in favour of ‘clinician-led commissioning’ and we want HealthWatch to have proper funding, real power and a duty to represent all patients, not just those who shout the loudest.

“No group has a monopoly on wisdom. Just as doctors and nurses are experts on health care, so are patients. We welcome the fact the government have taken the time to listen to their concerns, but listening alone is not enough, now it’s time to act.”


ENDS

We will have spokespeople available for comment from Monday. For more information please contact Rachel Whitehead, Senior Media Relations Officer for Rethink Mental Illness on 2027 840 3138


1. The charities are: Rethink Mental Illness, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, National Voices, The British Heart Foundation, The Stroke Association and The Neurological Alliance.

Notes to editors

Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

We help over 52,000 people each year through our services and support groups and by providing information on mental health problems. Our website www.rethink.org receives over 500,000 visitors every year.



Rachel Whitehead
Senior Media Relations Officer
020 7840 3138

Working together to help everyone affected by
severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

89 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TP
 

Follow Rethink on Twitter @Rethink_

Tags: