Cuts to Mental Health Services

Mental Health Services for society's most vulnerable are in some cases not safe and failing people's care needs at a time when the service should be adequately funded by Government, instead it all points to more cuts. The Prime Minister said back in June 2007 " We will not cut spending on the NHS – we will increase it.” As someone who's support and care has been affected by these cuts I've noticed big squeezes on resources in my community mental health centre and staff are over-stretched. It's time for MPs on all sides to have a look and really see just how much more needs to be done to help. The number of cases of people needing counselling are rising as is the rate of suicide, we need a solution that addresses this crisis and now.

I asked some MPs if they are concerned that the state of Mental Health services in their constituencies are failing people's needs and what can be done to put this right.

Luciana Berger MP Is the Shadow Minister for Public Health
For too long, it has been an issue cast into the shadows, but Labour is determined to shine a light on mental health. I was delighted to speak about mental health in my first parliamentary speech in my new role on October 16. I highlighted concerns that the sharp reduction in the number of available psychiatric beds was placing serious strains on services across the country and that was unacceptable that many people wanting to access talking therapies are having to wait to long. If Labour is elected in 2015, we will ensure a real parity of esteem between mental health and physical health. We will create a legal right to talking therapies and we will create a system that treats the patient as a whole rather than the individual condition, breaking down divisions between physical and mental care. There is still much to do but Labour is absolutely committed to making a real difference.

Charles Walker MP Former chair of the all-party parliamentary group on mental health

" There is still an enormous amount more to be done to ensure that people who suffer from mental ill health get the support they need and opportunities they deserve "
Kerry McCarthy MP 
It's very much an issue in my constituency, and the number of cases seem to be rising. People seem to be turning to their MPs as other sources of advice/support has been cut. The Atos assessments are also a major problem, and are not fit for purpose in assessing mental health, rather than physical conditions, I do think it's a major issue and much more needs to be done in terms of support, treatment, diagnosis and care. There is also the discrimination issue in employment, but i think much more has been done in recent years to overcome some of the stigma via campaigns form Mind, Time To Change and rethink.

Norman Lamb MP
" It is crucial that we ensure there is the same level of access to crisis mental health care as there is to physical health care, and that there is the appropriate maximum waiting times for treatment. But we have to go further "

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