The nation’s mental health is in urgent need of support – the government must act now

The government does not seem to see the 1.6 million people on mental health waiting lists as a priority, writes Paul Farmer

Mind’s own research showed that more than 1 in 6 young people experienced mental distress for the first time during the pandemic (Getty/iStock)

Last week, I heard about someone who spent three days in A&E waiting to get help while experiencing a mental health crisis. A&E is not a good place to be if you’re in crisis, and by the time they were finally transferred to a psychiatric unit, they were more unwell. The chances are they will need a much longer stay before they get better.

Amidst the regular furore about NHS waiting lists, when the health service publishes its latest performance data, a crucial statistic often gets buried. For several months in a row, a record number of people have been trying to get mental health treatment.

When the latest figures were released on Thursday, we found that at the end of July, 1.47 million people were in contact with mental health services. The harsh reality is that the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the mental health of many people and, unsurprisingly, this is translating into more and more people seeking help from the NHS. What is astounding is that this government doesn’t seem to want to do anything about it.

When the health secretary, Sajid Javid, announced £5.4bn for the NHS to catch up after Covid, not a single mention was made of mental health. This was followed by a Conservative Party conference speech from Boris Johnson that again made no reference to mental health. It would be a stretch to put this down to oversight.

The government does not seem to see the 1.6 million people on mental health waiting lists, or the 8 million not considered mentally unwell enough to receive treatment, as a priority.

But it’s not too late. With the comprehensive spending review just days away, the government must use this final chance to act or consign the nation to longer waiting lists, more people reaching crisis point and more deaths due to mental ill-health over the next three years. The charity Mind, along with other mental health organisations working on the frontline, have clearly outlined what politicians need to do if we are to avoid this needless suffering.

One thing we have asked for is an uplift to the money committed to mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan, which was written well before the pandemic wreaked havoc on our lives. This uplift must be in line with current data on the number of people experiencing and seeking help for mental health problems, and be used to support hard-working frontline mental health staff.

The second is for funding for a network of early support hubs for young people’s mental health. We know that under 18s have had to bear the brunt of what has been one of the most difficult periods in recent history. This is evident from the growing number of young people on waiting lists for NHS treatment and Mind’s own research, which showed that more than 1 in 6 young people experienced mental distress for the first time during the pandemic.

It is crucial that we embed easily accessible mental health support in the hearts of our communities, without young people needing to meet tight clinical thresholds or wait for months to get help.

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We have also asked for the government to commit sufficient investment for implementing its plans to reform the Mental Health Act. With ever-growing numbers of people reaching crisis point with their mental health, making sure the legislation that should protect people when they are at their most vulnerable is up to date and supporting rather than hindering recovery should be top of the priority list.

All the key metrics show that the nation’s mental health is in urgent need of support. For the sake of those waiting so long to get the help they deserve, the government needs to act now.

Paul Farmer is the chief executive of mental health charity Mind