NHS Constitution Will Give People with Mental Illness Legal Right to Choose Treatments

The proposed NHS Constitution will make it a legal right to receive treatments recommended by NICE. This will mark a particularly radical improvement for people affected by mental illness. Right now NICE says people with schizophrenia should be given a choice about medication but a new Rethink survey shows only 33% are actually getting that choice. The vast majority aren’t offered any alternatives, and often have to put up with horrible side-effects that might be avoidable.

NICE also recommends people with mental illness should be offered psychological ‘talking’ therapies, but Rethink’s survey shows that just a third of people with schizophrenia have been offered this effective and cost-effective treatment.

By giving people these enforceable rights Lord Darzi really could be on his way to making a difference to mental health – something he has pledged to do by making mental health one of the top six priorities for the NHS.