Lib Dems Conference: Targets set for mental health waiting times

The two-week treatment pledge for those experiencing a first episode of psychosis is one of a number of waiting time targets for mental health conditions announced by Clegg with the aim of bringing these in line with other NHS services.

The targets – the first for mental health services – include a maximum wait of 18 weeks from referral by a GP to receiving treatment, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, for conditions such as depression and anxiety.

The move will bring mental health services in line with cancer waiting time targets, when they come into force from April 2015.

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow today, Clegg said treating psychosis quickly can improve patients' chances of recovery and potentially save £44m each year in hospital admissions.

He said: "It's wrong that people needing a hip operation can expect treatment within a clear timeframe but someone with a debilitating mental health condition has no clarity about when they will get help.

"For years, NHS waiting standards have existed for patients with physical ailments and they have drastically cut long waits. Now we are finally ending the injustice of people with mental health conditions waiting far too long for treatment with the first-ever waiting time standards for NHS mental health services."

The announcement is part of a five-year plan backed by £40m this year, with projected savings doubling that figure by 2015/16.

Other measures in the plan include £7m of funding for NHS England to create 50 new inpatient beds for children and young people – pledged by the government earlier this year – and improved case management so that children are treated closer to their home and families.

In July, England’s top child psychiatrist warned that the inpatient care system was so inundated with patients that some young people were being placed hundreds of miles away from their homes due to a shortage of beds locally.