The Government has announced a £150 million investment in NHS mental health services over the next three years to better support people in crisis – at the same time introducing broad reforms to the Mental Health Act to meet increasing demand for services.
A passionate advocate for better mental health provision, Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, welcomed the landmark sum which implements recommendations from Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s independent review of the Mental Health Act.
These include £7 million for new specialised mental health ambulances (reducing the number of general ambulance and police callouts), better support for communities to invest in alternatives to hospital admissions such as crisis houses and safe havens, as well as enhancements to patient safety in mental health units.
This investment coincides with the publishing of the draft Mental Health Bill giving those in crisis more choice over their treatment and tackling the inequalities in mental health provision that disproportionately disadvantage ethnic minorities and those with learning difficulties. The Mental Health Bill will now be scrutinised by a parliamentary select committee before the Government publishes a final version that will go before MPs.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
“From my very first speech in Parliament I have pushed for physical and mental health to be talked about and treated with equal importance so that both young and old can access the best mental health support. That’s why I’m really happy to support the Government’s new reforms, as well as its continued spending in the area – ultimately improving people’s lives up and down the country. Moreover, I really welcome that later this year the Health Secretary will announce a new 10-year mental health plan as well as a refreshed National Suicide Prevention Plan.”
“I’ve spent the majority of my career working as a vet, a profession tragically over-represented in mental health and suicide statistics, so I know first-hand how devastating mental health crises can be, not just to those suffering with illness but their friends and families too. Vets are not alone in this, other rural industries such as farming suffer greatly too, that’s why I was passionate to trigger an official EFRA Select Committee Inquiry into Rural Mental Health, shining a light on the issue so we can make real change in our communities.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid MP said:
“This is a significant moment in supporting people with serious mental health issues.
“We’re investing more money to ensure NHS patients have tailored services and support, so people in a mental health emergency get the right care at the right time.
“Our reforms to the outdated Mental Health Act are another important milestone in better supporting those with serious mental health issues and giving people greater control over their treatment, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are disproportionately detained under the Act.”
