Recovery budgets

Mental Health Nursing,  May 2005  

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'Personal recovery budgets', direct payments from the NHS to buy treatments such as psychological therapies should be piloted by the Department of Health, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)

A paper published by the IPPR says those who experience mental health problems should have more choice over treatments and that personal recovery budgets - adapted from the current system of direct payments would open up choice. A more patient led personal approach would make mental health services be more responsive.

Jennifer Rankin, IPPR researcher, said: 'So far Government policy has been focused on introducing choice in elective care, such as being able to choose what hospital you attend for surgery. Mental health is a test case for the choice agenda which to date has not had much to say about being more responsive to the needs of people experiencing mental health problems.'

A Good Choice for Mental Health recommends that GPs should not be the sole gatekeeper into mental health treatments and that people should be able to access health services through a variety of professionals located in community settings.

A Good Choice for Mental Health is downloadable at www.ippr.org/publications

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association May 2005
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