Labour's plan for mental health will tackle the crisis in mental
illness that is keeping people out of the labour market and
costing the country billions, as the party reveals the cost of
mental illness-related economic inactivity under the
Conservatives.
It comes as new data published on Thursday by NHS England show
NHS waiting lists rising by 34,000, despite Rishi Sunak's promise
to bring NHS waiting lists down.
Labour's manifesto - entitled ‘Change', sets out the party's
ambitious, fully-funded and fully-costed plan for mental health.
The plans will help Brits off waiting lists and back to work, a
key plank of Labour's programme for getting the economy growing
again.
The new figures published by the Labour Party today reveal the
annual cost of increased mental ill health under the
Conservatives to be at £23 billion per year, which could mean
costs of £115 billion over the course of the next Parliament, if
the Tories are given another five years.
Common conditions which force adults out of work include
depression, anxiety, and phobias. Last year, the Office for
National Statistics estimated that more than a third of 16-34
year olds who are out of work were affected by one or more of
these conditions. It's estimated that around 1.2 million people
are currently waiting for mental health treatment.
Ahead of a visit to a men's mental health charity, , Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, said:
“The Tories' high tax, low growth record offers no hope for the
future – just £4,800 more on the mortgages of working families.
People right across the country are being denied the support that
they need to get into work and stay in work. The increase in
mental ill health under the Tories is costing Britain £23 billion
per year.
“Labour's first steps for growth will deliver the fully-funded
and fully-costed mental health plan to support people who want to
work, to be in work. 8,500 new mental health workers - paid for
by closing tax loopholes, are part of Labour's first steps to get
the country back on course to growth.”
As part of Labour's first steps for government, Labour will bring
waiting times down, intervene earlier, and recruit an additional
8,500 new staff.
Labour's new Young Futures hubs will provide open access mental
health services for children and young people in every community.
And mental health support will be available in every school.
The cost to the economy of the increase in inactivity due to
mental health under the Tories since 2019 is £23 billion every
year. This means another five years of the Tories, even if this
number doesn't go up further, will cost £115 billion.
Ends
Notes:
- Calculation follows the methodology employed by Oxera: Lost
output per individual is estimated using the GVA per filled job
in the UK, which reflects employment costs plus a profit margin.
As data on sickness absence shows that absence is more common
among employees in occupations with lower than average earnings,
the GVA per job is adjusted by the ratio of median to mean hourly
earnings in the UK excluding overtime. https://www.oxera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/230116_The-Economic-Cost-of-Ill-Health-Among-the-Working-Age-Population.pdf2.
- ONS GVA at basic prices, current prices 2023
- ONS Number of people in employment, age 16 and over
- Between 2019 and 2023, the number of people inactive because
of long-term sickness who reported depression, bad nerves or
anxiety rose by 386,000, ONS.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/articles/risingillhealthandeconomicinactivitybecauseoflongtermsicknessuk/2019to2023#:~:text=Over%201.35%20million%20(53%25),rather%20than%20their%20main%20one
