Ed Miliband has called it an afterthought. Luciana Berger describes it as a ‘Cinderella service’ – something overshadowed and not gaining the deserved recognition. But I prefer to think of those who work to provide mental health services in the NHS simply as the dedicated, unsung heroes of our NHS.

In north Essex, as in other parts of the country, the scope and scale of the mental health provision is vast. But the resources available to mental health trusts is dwindling, with the latest figures showing that the mental health budget is falling for the first time in a decade.

For nearly three years, I saw at first hand the passion and commitment of frontline staff working seven days a week, 365 days a year in inpatient wards and out in the local community, caring for a cross section of people, with complex cases ranging from eating disorders and depression to substance misuse and dementia.

One in four people in Britain will suffer from some form of mental illness during their life time, from severe psychosis to mild depression. In 2011, the coalition published a strategy, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, setting out their plans to improve people’s mental health and wellbeing, but their rhetoric has not been matched with resources. Just 13 per cent of the NHS budget goes towards treating mental health, even though it accounts for around 23 per cent of all health problems.

Some mental health trusts, like my own in north Essex, are now reporting huge increases in bed occupancy levels. The recession and the economic crisis saw an increase in mental health problems, with people suffering stress, anxiety and depression because of redundancies, job insecurity and pay cuts. The highest proportion of those cases came from the 18-30 age bracket.

Colchester is home to the St Aubyn Centre – the only NHS acute care unit for young people in the whole of the south of England. It provides care for young people between the age of 11 and 18 who are experiencing severe mental, emotional and psychological health problems. Its 25 bed acute care wards are combined with therapy suites, classroom facilities, a library and an outdoor recreational space. But this is an exception, rather than the rule.

Luciana Berger recently described adolescent mental health services as ‘the Cinderella of Cinderella services’. And last month Ed Miliband raised the issue of mental provision at prime minister’s questions, and forced David Cameron to admit that a ‘culture change in favour of mental health and helping with mental health problems is still needed’.

But more than just making speeches, Labour is committed to making a difference on mental health. Labour will enshrine parity for mental health in the NHS constitution and give mental health the priority it deserves. Moreover, Labour is committed to whole-person care – the combination of the physical and mental health and social care in one system. It is a system that Britain and the NHS are crying out for. After all, there is no health without mental health.

———————————

Jordan Newell is Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Colchester and chair of Colchester Labour party

———————————

Photo: Helga Weber