teenager mental health

With the 2017 general election drawing closer it's time to make your mind up. What does each party say they will do about mental health in their 2017 party manifesto? 

Conservatives

  • “We will introduce the first new Mental Health Bill for thirty-five years, putting parity of esteem at the heart of treatment.”
  • “We will make the UK the leading research and technology economy in the world for mental health.”
  • “We will amend health and safety regulations so that employers provide appropriate first aid training and needs assessment for mental health.”
  • “We will train one million members of the public in basic mental health awareness and first aid to break the stigma of mental illness.”
  • “We will enable more care to be delivered closer to home by building and upgrading primary care facilities, mental health clinics and hospitals in every part of England.”
  • “We will continue to expand the number of NHS approved apps that can help monitor care and provide support for physical and mental health conditions.”
  • “We will recruit up to 10,000 more mental health professionals.”
  • “We will improve the co-ordination of mental health services with other local services, including police forces and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.”
  • “We will introduce mental health first aid training for teachers in every primary and secondary school by the end of the parliament and ensure that every school has a 73 single point of contact with mental health services.”

 

Labour 

  • “In order to protect services, we will ring-fence mental health budgets and ensure funding reaches the frontline”
  • “We will end the scandal of children being treated on adult mental health wards and stop people being sent across the country, away from their support networks, to secure the treatment they need by bringing forward the ending of out-of-area placements to 2019”
  • “We will invest in early intervention by increasing the proportion of mental health budgets spent on support for children and young people.”
  • “We will ensure that access to a counselling service is available for all children in secondary schools.”
  • “Labour will ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to evaluate the potential for increasing the range of evidence based psychological therapies on offer.”

 

Liberal democrats 

  • “Ringfence funding from within the one penny Income Tax rise, to provide additional investment in mental health.”
  • “Guarantee that people will not wait more than six weeks for therapy for depression or anxiety, and no young person will wait more than two weeks for treatment when they experience a first episode of psychosis.”
  • “Increase access to clinically- and cost-effective talking therapies so that hundreds of thousands more people can receive this support.”
  • “Examine the case for introducing a dedicated service for children and young people based on the Australian ‘headspace’ model and building on many excellent Youth Information, Advice and Counselling Services.”
  • “Transform mental health support for pregnant women, new mothers and those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, and help them get early care when needed.”
  • “Continue to promote and invest in the Frontline programme to fast-track exceptional graduates into children’s social work, as well as the Think Ahead scheme aimed at encouraging high-achieving graduates to pursue a career in mental health social work.”
  • “Ensure that no one in crisis is turned away, with new waiting time standards and better crisis care in Accident and Emergency, in the community and via phone lines.”
  • “End out of area placements, ensuring those admitted to hospital for mental ill-health are able to be treated close to home.”
  • “Ensure that all frontline public service professionals, including in schools and universities, receive better training in mental health.”
  • “Roll out the Liaison and Diversion programme nationally, helping to identify people who have mental health problems, learning disabilities, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system.”
  • “Tackle stigma against mental ill-health, including by building on the good work done by organisations like Heads Together and changing the standard of proof in suicide conclusions in the Coroner's Court.”
  • “Ensure that LGBT+ inclusive mental health services receive funding and support.”

 

Green Party 

  • “Bring mental health care in line with physical health care.”
  • “Ensure people experiencing mental health crises are supported close to their home and support networks.”
  • “Introduce mental health awareness training within the public sector.”
  • “Encourage a more open dialogue on the issue in wider society.”