Sir Norman Lamb in Conversation With Norman Baker Be More Human: Why Mental Health Care is Broken

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Why do people with severe mental illness die on average 15-20 years earlier than the general population? Why are patients still being placed far from their homes and families, often at enormous expense? And what can we learn from mental health systems that begin with the simple question: "What matters to you?"Drawing on his experience as a former Health Minister, NHS trust chair and one of Britain's most prominent mental health campaigners, Sir Norman Lamb argues that our approach to mental health care is too often fragmented, impersonal and remote from the communities it is supposed to serve. In his new book, Be More Human, he combines the experiences of people who have been failed by the system with examples of pioneering projects that are finding more compassionate, creative and effective ways of providing care.Described by Dr Sian Williams as "compelling and compassionate, holistic and humane", Be More Human asks what a genuinely human mental health system might look like. Sir Norman examines the pressures facing services, the relationship between mental health, inequality and community, and why reform needs to involve much more than simply putting additional money into existing structures. He explores innovative approaches in Britain and abroad, including pioneering work in Norway, where asking patients what matters most to them has helped transform the way care is delivered. Ruby Wax has called the book "a call to arms for those urgently needing help", while Alastair Campbell says that Norman Lamb is always worth listening to on mental health.In this timely discussion with former Lewes MP and fellow Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker, Sir Norman will explore what has gone wrong, why successive governments have struggled to improve mental health services, and where the most promising alternatives are emerging. Drawing on their experiences inside government, they will ask what practical changes could make mental health care more preventative, compassionate and centred on the individual. Can we create a system that treats people as human beings rather than simply as patients?Sir Norman Lamb is a former Liberal Democrat MP, Health Minister and one of the UK's best-known campaigners for mental health reform. He represented North Norfolk from 2001 to 2019 and served as Minister of State for Care and Support from 2012 to 2015, where mental health was a major focus of his work. He introduced the first access and waiting-time standards for NHS mental health services and campaigned for greater equality between mental and physical health care. From 2020 to 2025, he chaired the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, one of Britain's leading specialist mental health trusts.Knighted in 2019 for political and public service, particularly his contribution to mental health, Sir Norman has continued to campaign on mental health, social care and reform of public services. His new book, Be More Human: Why Mental Health Care is Broken - and What We Can Do to Fix It, published in August 2026, brings together decades of political, professional and campaigning experience to argue for a fundamental rethink of how mental health care is delivered.Norman Baker was the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes from 1997 to 2015 and served in the Coalition Government first as a Transport Minister and later as Minister of State for Crime Prevention at the Home Office. Known during his parliamentary career for his persistent scrutiny of government and public institutions, he was described by Nick Clegg as "a cross between Gandhi and a battering ram". Baker is the author of several books, including Against the Grain, The Strange Death of David Kelly, ...And What Do You Do? and, most recently, Royal Mint, National Debt, which examines the finances of the Royal Family. Away from politics, he is also a singer-songwriter, broadcaster and long-standing Lewes figure.A Q&A Session will follow.