Dr. Brian Osborne:

With regard to the stigma, I do not have the references to hand but I will be happy to send them to the Deputy. There is a large body of international evidence that mental health care is best delivered in primary care. One of the reasons for this is stigma. It is stigmatising if patients, especially younger people, are seen attending psychiatry services. In addition, general practice and primary care offer what is known as the primary care advantage. The general practitioners and practice nurses develop longitudinal relationships over time and build relationships and trust, so patients are happier to come back rather than seeing a different doctor or different health care professional at each visit.