Mental Health: share of spend falls as Government “backpedals” when patients need it most

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Responding to the Government’s statement that the proportion of health spend directed towards mental health has dropped compared to last financial year, the first time this has happened in several years, Liberal Democrat Mental Health spokesperson Danny Chambers MP said: 

“Labour is backpedalling at the worst possible time—when millions desperately need mental health support. Right now, dangerously long waitlists are leaving people to suffer, their conditions worsening by the day.

“This is an utter failure of patients and a breach of the Government’s own mental health investment standard. It is dismissing that mental health must be treated as seriously as physical health.

“To make matters worse, the Government is slashing benefits for those with debilitating illnesses while making it harder to access treatment. It is utterly nonsensical.

“The Government cannot turn their backs on the anguish of the millions who are suffering right now. They need to grasp this crisis, and reinstating the scrapped NHS mental health targets would be a good start, so that people can get the help they need before they reach breaking point."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The statement can be found here.