http://www.geocities.com/purplestar1uk/EDMs.html Below is the suggested letter from Mind (www.mind.org.uk) to send to your MP.
You can do this by post, email or www.faxyourmp.com
Dear ... MP,
There are two Early Day Motions in Parliament at the moment about mental health issues I regard as extremely important. As my MP I request you to show your concern by supporting them.
EDM 568, tabled by Paul Flynn MP states "that this house expresses concern at the tragic deaths associated with the anti-depressant drug Seroxat and the news that GlaxoSmithKline suppressed news of two 1998 studies that demonstrated that the drug was no more effective than placebos; notes with alarm the Department of Health's view that Seroxat can make the symptoms of depression more severe and the decision of a court that Seroxat was responsible for a change in the behaviour of a man who took his own life and that of his family; and calls for a full investigation of the conduct of GlaxoSmithKline who appear to have put their private greed before public safety".
EDM 623, tabled by Keith Vaz MP states "that this House strongly condemns any form of racial abuse in the NHS mental health services; welcomes the report into the death of David "Rocky" Bennett who died in a secure unit for mental health patients in Norwich in October 1998; calls on the Secretary of State for health to take appropriate action to eliminate any form of institutional racism in the NHS mental health services; and asks him to put on record this Government's commitment to fair and equal treatment of mental health patients."
Please let me know whether you are able to support these motions and whether you have signed them.
Yours sincerely,
There are two Early Day Motions in Parliament at the moment about mental health issues I regard as extremely important. As my MP I request you to show your concern by supporting them.
EDM 568, tabled by Paul Flynn MP states "that this house expresses concern at the tragic deaths associated with the anti-depressant drug Seroxat and the news that GlaxoSmithKline suppressed news of two 1998 studies that demonstrated that the drug was no more effective than placebos; notes with alarm the Department of Health's view that Seroxat can make the symptoms of depression more severe and the decision of a court that Seroxat was responsible for a change in the behaviour of a man who took his own life and that of his family; and calls for a full investigation of the conduct of GlaxoSmithKline who appear to have put their private greed before public safety".
EDM 623, tabled by Keith Vaz MP states "that this House strongly condemns any form of racial abuse in the NHS mental health services; welcomes the report into the death of David "Rocky" Bennett who died in a secure unit for mental health patients in Norwich in October 1998; calls on the Secretary of State for health to take appropriate action to eliminate any form of institutional racism in the NHS mental health services; and asks him to put on record this Government's commitment to fair and equal treatment of mental health patients."
Please let me know whether you are able to support these motions and whether you have signed them.
Yours sincerely,
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16.03.2004 15:20
might be my jumbled-up way of reading things but the letter seems to be written in MPspeak.
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16.03.2004 23:50
Sorry it wasn't clear.
As I understand it, the first Early Day Motion is asking GlaxoSmithKline to take responsibility for the negative effects of their drugs, and to put people before profits basically and either conduct proper research into how their antidepressants can lead to people behaving, or to release any research they already have. They make huge amounts of money from Seroxat and so of course would be wary of releasing anything negative about it, but it is their duty to when people's well being and lives are maybe at stake.
The second Early Day Motion is a result of an enquiry into the death of a black man on a psychiatric ward, who died after being restrained on the floor for nearly half an hour, when the recommendation is that people should not be restrained for more than 3 minutes. The inquiry found (not surprisingly) that a lot of psych staff perceive black patients as "mad, bad and dangerous" and treat them accordingly, hence much higher diagnoses of schizophrenia in the black communities, and also much more drugging going on, and possibly more aggressive restraints.
The report identified institutional racism in NHS mental health services, and Keith Vaz is wanting parliament to condemn this and for steps to be taken to get rid of any racism within mental health services.
I hope I've explained that a bit better!
Pippa
Pippa
cheers, that makes sense now!
17.03.2004 13:03
i don't think these modern antidepressants are any good for long term sufferers/ people who are dealing with stuff that reaches far back into their younger years, etc. And the old fashioned tranquillisers hook people, sometimes, for life.
know alot of people who've used prozac, and i'm convinced that these types of medication (that most GPs are only too happy to prescribe) can only help people who experience a 'blip' in their otherwise "normal" life. anything else requires a more therapeutic approach and, if possible, a change in surroundings.
a lot of mental health (depression) is caused by a person's social environment. a pharmaceuptical pill can only re-programme us into accepting that negative social environment (social conformity)
Don't doctors get loadsa perks from issuing Glaxo's and other medication? i always notice that GPs always have pens with advertising the logos of pharmaceuptical brand names - so they know which drug to prescribe next time.
effbee