Mind responds to Labour Party mental health announcement

Responding to the announcement, Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

“The scale of the crisis in mental health in the UK cannot be overstated, so we welcome the measures announced today.

“With the number of people taking their own lives again at pre-pandemic levels, and men still accounting for three in four deaths, we agree that reversing these numbers should be top of the list of priorities.

“We expect to see a concerted effort to reduce suicides, including more options for people to get help before they reach crisis, backed with the right resource.

“We welcome the commitment to have an early support hub for young people in every community. Young people have been through so much in recent years, with the pandemic disrupting their education, relationships and prospects, and now the cost-of-living crisis as well. This is why we have been campaigning for a national roll out of these hubs - young people urgently need somewhere that’s easy to go to when they first start to struggle with their mental health.

“Tackling the gulf between the level of need and the NHS’ ability to deliver care depends on the capacity of the workforce, and the support of a great clinician can make all the difference to people’s lives. So, it is encouraging to see a commitment to expanding the mental health workforce. We also know the huge role that services beyond the NHS play in maintaining people’s wellbeing and in supporting them in crisis – from schools to social care and charities.

“A re-commitment to a cross-Government plan for mental health is positive, as so many people with mental health problems had fed in to the one we expected to be published this year. There must be a plan to tackle the causes of poor mental health, including poverty, racism and other discrimination, to have any hope of making change.

“With the cost-of-living crisis, deepening health inequalities and increasing numbers of young people reaching crisis point, mental health should be at the top of everybody’s priority list.”