Health insurance companies should be asked to approve what sort of further treatment patients with long-term psychiatric problems get, the health insurance council says in leaked recommendations.

At the moment, doctors and patients decide on the nature and duration of treatment and health insurers are kept out of the process.

However, leaked draft recommendations from the council suggest insurers be consulted about ‘chronic long-term syndromes’. It would then be decided if further treatment should be funded by health insurance, the AWBZ long-term care fund or local councils.

The council’s role is to advise the government which elements of healthcare should be included in the basic compulsory insurance package