Mind responds to Welsh Government's Together for Mental Health delivery plan
Welsh Government has today published its Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan for 2016-2019
Welsh Government has today published its Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan for 2016-2019
This is the first update to the ten-year strategy of the same name, launched in 2012, that sets out the Welsh Government’s aims for improving mental health and wellbeing in Wales.
The publication of the plan comes after First Minister Carwyn Jones announced a greater focus on mental health provision in his programme for government for the next five years.
The plan includes new commitments around helping people access alternatives to therapy and medication in the community, a new aim to reduce the use of sectioning and a continued commitment to a Crisis Care Concordat for Wales, as well as added actions to tackle mental health stigma in children and young people.
Responding to the plan, Sara Moseley, Director of Mind Cymru, said:
“We welcome the new Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan which has been published today, as mental health services in Wales need a clear way forward for the next three years.
“Mental health and wellbeing affects every aspect of people’s lives, and so we’re glad that Welsh Government is focussing on outcomes for people with mental health problems, whatever their age. It’s particularly important that mental health services are integrated in Wales, so we are pleased to see a commitment to a more holistic approach to improving people’s mental health.
“However, we do still have some concerns. The timescales set out in the plan are very tight, and it is clear that very rapid action will be needed if it is to be implemented. We are also very concerned that mental health services are significantly underfunded in Wales and today’s delivery plan does little to address this.”