High Peak Liberal Democrats

MPs told of mental health patient treated like a prisoner

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb has taken the plight of his suicidal constituent who was made to feel like a prisoner to the House of Commons.

The former mental-health minister said sending patients for treatment far away from their home should not happen and be treated by the NHS as a "never event" by the NHS.

He told successor Alistair Burt that such "shocking" treatment must stop and warned mixed wards caring for patients with completely different conditions "ought to be a thing of the past".

Repeating the story reported in the EDP, he told MPs his constituent had twice left their Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital ward and visited a nearby main road with the intention of "walking in front of a bus or a lorry", only stopping from taking such action as they did not want to cause death or injury to someone else.

The Commons was told two men arrived at 10pm to take the patient, who was "feeling suicidal, frightened and confused", to south London.

Mr Burt, who was answering the debate, said: "These issues have been there for some time, government in, government out.

"I think the coalition government made huge strides in recognising the importance of mental health and driving forward some of the changes that need to be made."

But he said that he had been puzzled by the variability of practice.

"How it is that in two areas, often side by side, with exactly the same resources, there is in one a set of procedures in place which ensure that good treatment is provided and in another that isn't the case?"

Mr Burt said the principle should "always be care close to home in the least restrictive setting".

He said he plans to put in place a "national ambition" to address out-of-area treatments with details due to be brought forward by the end of March next year.

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