Schizophrenia-Treatment Practice Gap

EDM number 150 in 2001-02, proposed by Lynne Jones on 16/07/2001.

That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to mental health and the improvements in provision made to date; welcomes the Zito Trust Report, The Practice Gap in Schizophrenia: Are People with Schizophrenia being given the best chance in life?; notes with concern the map in the report showing an almost 10 fold variation in prescribing rates of atypical antipsychotics, with their reduced side-effect profile; is alarmed that many patients are still being prevented from getting access to the most appropriate and effective treatments they need; welcomes the NICE appraisal currently underway into use of atypicals in the treatment of schizophrenia; urges NICE to take the opportunity to issue guidance which removes the practice gap by recommending the use of atypicals as a first-line treatment; and calls on the Government to ensure that sufficient resources are available to meet any increased cost of implementing the guidance.

This motion has been signed by a total of 60 MPs.