'It can't continue': the risks of under-funding mental health services
Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, commends the letter published today calling on the Governmentto end the discrimination against people with mental health problems.
Mental health services, underfunded for decades, have seen significant cuts over the last few years, at a time when demand is rising. As a result, services in many parts of the country are struggling to cope and people are not getting the help they need. It can’t continue.
We know that the NHS is under pressure at the moment but when people don’t get the right help at the right time, the risk is that they become more unwell and need more intensive – and expensive – treatment further down the line. Poor mental health can ruin lives, destroy relationships, take away people’s independence and can lead to people taking their own lives. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right support at the right time, people can and do recover or manage their mental health in a way that allows them to lead the life they choose.
The Government has committed to giving mental health the same priority as physical health but this can only become a reality with the right resources. We need to see urgent and significant investment in mental health services so that the one in four of us experiencing mental health problems can get the help and support we need.
