Agenda item

Mental Health Services

It was moved by Councillor Richard Shaw, seconded by Councillor Sue Alston, that this Council:-

(a)       notes that:-

(i)            an estimated one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lives;

(ii)        there is often a relationship between mental health problems and issues such as housing, employment and family problems; and

(iii)       when the previous Government introduced waiting times for physical health, mental health conditions were excluded;

(b)       welcomes:-

(i)         the announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Sheffield Hallam, The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg, MP, that treatment for mental health conditions will be brought into line with other NHS services with the introduction of waiting time standards;

(ii)          the additional investment in psychiatric services in acute hospitals for people admitted via Accident and Emergency Departments to ensure that these patients receive the most appropriate treatment; and

(iii)         the £7 million investment into mental health services for children and young people;

(c)        believes that:-

(i)         all Councillors can play a positive role in championing mental health issues on an individual and strategic basis; and

(ii)        Councillors should use every opportunity to tackle discrimination on grounds of mental health and promote positive mental health in schools, colleges and places of employment.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mary Lea, seconded by Councillor Julie Dore, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.        the deletion of sub-paragraph (a)(iii) and paragraph (b);

2.        the addition of new paragraphs (b) and (c) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraph (c) as a new paragraph (d):-

(b)     welcomes any positive actions taken to improve treatment for mental health, however regrets that yet again the Deputy Prime Minister’s record does not match his warm words and reminds the main opposition group of reports in 2012 by leading mental health charities that spending on mental health had fallen under this Government for the first time in a decade;

(c)     notes that during the Deputy Prime Minister’s time in Government there are thousands fewer mental health nurses and hundreds fewer mental health doctors in the NHS, and a recent Health Service Journal survey found 3,640 fewer nurses and 213 fewer doctors working in mental health in April this year compared to staffing levels two years ago.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

(Note: Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for paragraph 2 and voted against paragraph 1 of the amendment and asked for his to be recorded.)

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       notes that:-

(i)            an estimated one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lives;

(ii)        there is often a relationship between mental health problems and issues such as housing, employment and family problems; and

(b)       welcomes any positive actions taken to improve treatment for mental health, however regrets that yet again the Deputy Prime Minister’s record does not match his warm words and reminds the main opposition group of reports in 2012 by leading mental health charities that spending on mental health had fallen under this Government for the first time in a decade;

(c)        notes that during the Deputy Prime Minister’s time in Government there are thousands fewer mental health nurses and hundreds fewer mental health doctors in the NHS, and a recent Health Service Journal survey found 3,640 fewer nurses and 213 fewer doctors working in mental health in April this year compared to staffing levels two years ago; and

(d)       believes that:-

(i)         all Councillors can play a positive role in championing mental health issues on an individual and strategic basis; and

(ii)        Councillors should use every opportunity to tackle discrimination on grounds of mental health and promote positive mental health in schools, colleges and places of employment.

(Note: Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a) and (d) and against paragraphs (b) and (c) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)