Anti-depressant spending "too high"

April 17th 2006

GP prescriptions of anti-depressants are to be targeted in the latest NHS economy drive, it was reported yesterday.

The new plans aim to replace prescriptions with personal therapy, it was reported.

Health secretary Patricia Hewitt will unveil the plans next month, the Independent on Sunday said.

Two pilots areas will be Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and Newham, East London, the paper said.

In these areas about a third of the large numbers claiming incapacity benefit suffer from depression.

During the pilot projects they will be offered therapies ranging from marriage counselling to jobs advice.

Some 3.5 million people receive treatment for depression, the paper said.

Ms Hewitt told the paper: "I really feel that not enough attention is paid to it because of the stigma attached and that the range of therapies is far too limited. The typical response, people feel, is for GPs to prescribe Prozac or something of the kind and really not do much else."

Subscribe or spread the word:

Related Information

• More anti-depressants news articles