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NHS to Transform Mental Health Services

Six years after David Cameron pledged to put mental wellbeing at the centre of his Government a taskforce set up by NHS England has reported that approximately three-quarters of people suffering from mental health problems received no help at all. Despite one in four people experiencing a mental health problem less than a tenth of the NHS budget is spent on it.

Suicide in England is now rising following many years of decline, with 4,477 people killing themselves in an average year. There has been a 10% increase in the number of people sectioned under the Mental Health Act over the past year, suggesting the needs of the mentally ill are not being met early enough.

In some parts of the country, more than 10% of children seeking help are having appointments with specialists cancelled as a result of staff shortages, yet 1 in 10 children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem. The Government admits that more needs to be done and is pledging to help more than a million extra people and investing more than a billion pounds a year by 2020/21.


Blog by Katharine Lawrence, Partner and Head of the Mental Health Department

 

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