NHS 10 Year Health Plan: Mind warns more to be done to meet scale of mental health challenge
Today the Prime Minister announced the UK government's 10 Year Health Plan.
The plan aims to overhaul the way the NHS delivers services in England. The changes that impact mental health services include:
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Offering better care for people in crisis via 85 new mental health emergency departments
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Easier access to mental health services via the NHS App
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Expanding Mental Health Support Teams in schools and introducing Young Futures Hubs to provide early support to children and young people in the community
Reacting to the plan, Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
“The 10-year-health plan is a crucial moment for the NHS and while it includes some welcome commitments, there’s more work to do if the UK government is to truly address the scale of the mental health crisis. The UK government must now put in place a comprehensive plan to implement those changes and uphold its manifesto promise to treat mental health with the urgency and equity it deserves. Our federation of local Minds are ready to help to deliver the plan and bring about the changes people with mental health problems so desperately need.
“Last week, new NHS data made it clear - the nation’s mental health is deteriorating. Our current system is overwhelmed, underfunded, and unequal to the scale of the challenge. It is crucial that the UK government harnesses this plan to gets the fundamentals right, otherwise this once in a generation opportunity will be squandered.
“That means addressing the funding gulf between mental and physical health, ensuring mental health is truly prioritised in the new Neighbourhood Health Service, and tackling long waiting lists. Only that way can we truly build a mentally healthier nation.”
