New plans to reduce reliance on medicines in treating mental illness

The government has outlined new plans to improve care quality for mental illness patients by providing better access to psychological therapies.

An estimated 1.8 million people are affected with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and psychosis, but concerns have been raised that current models of care are not up to standard or are too reliant on antipsychotic medications.

Six NHS pilot sites have been given funding to demonstrate the benefits of National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence-recommended talking therapies, with results to be shared with other providers in the coming year.

A focus will be placed on the provision of good-quality data on how services can be improved for patients and identifying the clinical, non-clinical and economic benefits.

Care and support minister Norman Lamb said: "We are prioritising mental health like never before, making sure that it sits on par with physical health. We want to see massive improvements in treatment for people with severe mental illnesses."

This follows news earlier this month that the Department of Health is also seeking to provide mental health patients with more choice over their treatment plans.