HEADLINE PRIORITY IN COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW PLANS
By Helen Clark: Campaign Manager, Child Mental Health Charter Campaign
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is set to announce a new £500 million financial package for England’s mental health services when he presents the Comprehensive Spending Review to Parliament on Wednesday, 25th November.
Treasury briefing to the BBC stated that:
- The majority of the funding has been earmarked for specialist services for children and young people
- Mental health support services in schools will benefit
- Money will be allocated to support the mental health of NHS workers
- There will be an increased financial investment into the mental health workforce
- The Spending Review will allocate money to eradicate outdated mental health dormitories.
Chancellor Sunak acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic has had:
‘A major impact on mental health because of increased isolation and uncertainty……it is vital we do everything we can to support our mental health services and ensure help is there for people. The funding will make sure that those who need help to get the right support as quickly as possible so they don’t have to suffer in silence.’
Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Helen Clark, Campaign Manager for the Child Mental Health Charter Campaign said:
This is a major and most encouraging announcement from the Chancellor and I would like to thank those (including parliamentarians on a cross-party basis) who have campaigned with us to persuade this Government to accept that children and young people with existing mental health problems – or indeed new conditions specifically triggered by this pandemic – are the unsung victims of COVID-19.
We welcome the new money to be announced by the Government and it is now our aim both to ensure that the money is used to best effect in the interests of children and young people and also that the Prime Minister re-commit to his 19thDecember Queen’s Speech pledge to reform the 1983 Mental Health Act during the course of this Parliament.
When a Bill is introduced to fulfil that pledge, we will campaign to ensure that children are, for the very first time, protected by legislation rather than an endless trail of pilot schemes.
OUR WORK HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN – BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE!
JOIN US!’
Helen Clark – Campaign Manager 22 November 2020