Charity reminds GPs they can earn £8,000 by checking the physical health of people with mental health problems

March 28, 2006

Charity workers have launched a drive to remind GPs that they can earn up to £8,000 extra per year by providing health checks to people with mental health problems.

The workers are sending GPs in Norwich information leaflets which detail how new GP contract rewards doctors financially if they provide a certain number of health checks per year to people with mental health problems.

It is part of the charity Rethink's campaign in Norwich to challenge the stigma associated with mental ill health and for there to be more checks on the physical health of people with mental health problems.

According to the charity, the average GP spends 30% of consultation time with patients diagnosed with a mental illness.

The charity also said that people with severe mental illness die 10 years younger than the rest of the population. It said this was not because of suicide or self harm, but because of physical health problems.

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