- Cymraeg
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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Increasing use of anti-depressants highlights need for more investment in community mental health services says Assembly Member
April 6, 2009 12:00 AM
Figures revealed by a freedom of information request by the BBC revealing an increase in prescribing pills like Prozac, despite national guidance advocating alternative treatments - up 3.15% in Wales and 3.64% in England during 2008 highlight the need for more investment in community mental health services, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Peter Black has said.
Mr. Black was responding to previously unpublished data from the Prescription Pricing Authority in England and the Prescribing Services Unit in Wales, focussing on January and which looks at the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants issued in that month per thousand patients. The top seven prescribers are all Welsh Local Health Boards in South Wales. Of the top thirty prescribers, 12 are in Wales and 10 are Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the north-east of England. In Torfaen, the area around Pontypool in south Wales, GPs handed out 104 prescriptions per 1,000 patients during January.
The biggest year-on-year increases in prescribing are also in south Wales: Torfaen has seen a rise of over eight prescriptions per 1,000 patients in twelve months, consolidating its position at the top of the table. Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend and Neath/Port Talbot have also seen very large rises. Six of the top 20 places ranked by the increase in prescribing anti-depressants are in Wales. This is not a new phenomenon however, comparing January 2007 with January 2008, the increase in England was 8.3%, and it was 9% in Wales.
"These figures deserve wider study so that we can fully understand what lies behind them," said Mr. Black. "The Health Committee's current review into Community Health Services has highlighted some trends that could have contributed to the use of prescription drugs by GPs rather than alternative approaches such as counselling. The Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru for example drew attention to a number of weaknesses in services. In particular they said that treatment is too heavily skewed to a 'medical model' rather than a 'recovery model' and that there is a limited number of Approved Mental Health Practitioners and a decreasing number of specialist professionals in the Mental Health field.
Given the limited options available to them it is little wonder that GPs prefer to prescribe anti-depressants rather than refer their patients to other professionals for long term treatment. Services are patchy around Wales and often there appears to be little alternative to prescribing drugs to patients to help them deal with depression.
"I have also heard that in England £170 million was recently allocated for the training of psychological therapists. Counsellors in Wales have been told by the Welsh Government that they must achieve their targets by being 'budget neutral'. Management are asking staff to be 'creative' in how they achieve their targets. Those retiring are not being replaced and as a result remaining staff are under pressure.
"If we do not have investment in community mental health services then the trends evidenced by this freedom of information request will remain unchecked."
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