Government announces new mental health drive

Suicide rates are coming down in the UK, but there are still about 4,500 incidences each year. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has used the first ever global mental health summit in London to announce new measures to tackle suicide rates and help overcome the stigma that stops people seeking help. The measures include the appointment of Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price as minister for suicide prevention in England, a £1.8m grant for the Samaritans helpline, and new mental health support teams to educate and support young people in schools and colleges. The Every Mind Matters campaign is also being piloted in the West Midlands to train one million people in mental health awareness.
However Natasha Devon, campaigner and former UK mental health czar, said: “During my nine months working with government my overall impression was that they were more interested in rhetoric and PR than they were in real action. The measures that have been taken this week do nothing to disabuse me of that.”
CEO of SANE, Marjorie Wallace, said: “While we applaud the intention, it is striking that the UK should be hosting such a summit when we hear daily about people left untreated due to a lack of nurses and doctors. Lives are being damaged due to years-long waits to get treatment, and we question the value of worthy initiatives to raise awareness while most individuals in the UK facing a crisis today struggle to receive any help at all.”
There is a conservative estimate of a 2.4% increase in the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act in the last year, and Vicki Nash, Mind’s head of policy and campaigns, said: “More people are being detained against their will under the Act, while some black and minority ethnic groups continue to be over-represented, particularly regarding community treatment orders. Today’s statistics are yet another wake-up call about the urgent need to reform the Mental Health Act effectively.”