Open letter to PM on mental health strategy

A coalition of organisations has written to the prime minister calling for a strategy that tackles the ‘causes rather than symptoms' of rising mental illness, suicide and people out of work – and warn that benefit cuts could exacerbate the national mental health crisis. 

The 37 signatories, which include Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and the Centre for Mental Health, call for the government mental health strategy to join-up thinking across education, online safety, health, welfare and other areas, in a way which cannot be achieved through the upcoming NHS 10 Year Plan alone. 

The letter highlights that the current government has inherited a crisis in mental health, with figures showing the highest suicide rates since 1999, a sharp increase in self-harm among young people, and a growing number of people being diagnosed with severe mental illness. 

The letter also raises concerns that the share of spending on mental health compared with physical health has fallen and is set to drop further next year, despite growing levels of need for mental health support.  

Recent analysis of NHS data by Rethink Mental Illness found that people are eight times more likely to wait 18 months or more for mental health treatment than physical health treatment. Despite this, mental health was left out of the government's recent drive to bring down elective waiting lists.  

The coalition urges the government to prioritise reducing waiting lists for community mental health treatment, including through starting the roll-out of neighbourhood mental health centres.  

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: 

“We are in the grip of a mental health crisis that is affecting millions of lives and putting the brakes on the country's economic potential. People are struggling to get the help they need, and for many, the system is failing them. 

“We cannot treat our way out of this crisis; we must also prevent it. In addition to cutting waiting lists, that means tackling the root causes of poor mental health. It means making sure children are supported at school, that people have a safe and secure place to call home, and that welfare policies promote wellbeing rather than undermine it. 

“We recognise the prime minister's genuine desire to make progress on this issue, but unless we see action now, there is a risk that this government's legacy will be a worsening crisis. A joined-up government strategy would not only help people to recover and thrive, but also ease pressure on the NHS, boost productivity, and build a healthier society. We stand ready to support him in turning this ambition into a reality.” 

Notes to editors

The letter

Dear Prime Minister,

Your Government has inherited a crisis in mental health. Suicide is at its highest level since 1999, self-harm among young people has climbed by over a third, and numbers being diagnosed with severe mental illnesses continue to rise.

This is having a substantial impact on society and the economy, not least contributing to the high number of people out of work due to their mental health. We recognise your genuine desire to make progress on this issue, and are keen to support you in tackling the twin beasts of worsening illness and economic inactivity. The only long term way to do this is to address causes rather than symptoms. We are concerned that cuts to disability benefits do not address the causes of the problem and may exacerbate them. We are also worried that, despite some positives such as the retention of the Mental Health Investment Standard, overall NHS projections now show the proportion of spending on mental health is falling year on year.

To grab this crisis by the horns and drive progress, we are calling on the Government to implement a cross-departmental mental health strategy, aimed at identifying and addressing the causes of the growing national mental health crisis. This would join up thinking across education, online safety, health, welfare and other areas, in a way that cannot be delivered solely through the NHS 10 year plan. The mental health sector can assist in providing the very best evidence to support your decision making and deliver the best results. We applaud your mission-led approach to government as a way of embedding focused, joined up thinking, and a mental health strategy can be included as part of the existing health, growth, or barriers to opportunity missions, to avoid setting up any additional bureaucracy and help to hit the ground running.

A crucial first step will be prioritising waiting lists for community mental health treatment. Right now, someone who needs mental health care is eight times more likely to wait over 18 months than someone who needs physical health care, and the evidence suggests a majority of these people experience deterioration in symptoms while waiting. A concerted targeting of resources to tackle mental health waiting lists, including starting the roll out of neighbourhood mental health centres, could go some way to getting people treated earlier, and the progress the Government is already making on waiting times for elective care shows that this is achievable.

Polling indicates under 40s regard mental health as a higher priority even than climate change. We all have a responsibility to rise to the challenge and give this issue the level of priority the public expect, with a whole Government strategy, and targeted interventions to get the situation under control.

We look forward to continuing to work together to deliver a mentally heathier society.