World Mental Health Day – Welsh Liberal Democrats Reiterate Call for 24/7 Mental Health Service

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have used World Mental Health Day to reiterate their calls for a 24/7 mental health service in Wales.

 The Party first called for a complete overhaul of mental health services in Wales during the last Senedd elections, calling for mental health to be given equal status to physical health.

The Party’s calls come after Welsh Government figures released last week showed there had been a 10% increase in detentions under the Mental Health Act in Wales during the last year.

The latest Welsh Government statistics also show large waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (sCAMHS) across Wales with 57% of patients waiting longer than the four-week target time for their first referral. Cardiff and the Vale Health Board fairs particularly badly with 85% waiting over the target time.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for the Labour Government to introduce plans to introduce a 24/7 mental health crisis care system; increase the share of funding that goes towards mental health to 13 percent of the Welsh NHS budget by 2028 and appoint a dedicated Minister of Mental Health until backlogs are cleared.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

“On Mental Health Day we rightly recognise the progress we have made in removing the stigma that used to surround the issue.

“However, we are still failing far too many people, especially young people. The fact that the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act has risen 10% in a year only goes to show many people aren’t able to access the treatment they need and instead reach a crisis point.

“The risk of a significant generational chasm in mental health treatment, especially in places like Cardiff where the figures have been dire for so long is especially worrying.

“Labour must ensure that mental health is treated equally to physical health. If a child had a broken leg we would not wait over four weeks to treat it, why should it be acceptable for a child experiencing a mental health crisis to wait so long?

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have championed the cause of Wales’ mental health, having pushed for greater mental health funding during budget discussions with the Welsh Government, including an immediate cash boost to mental health services.

“These statistics make it clear however that Labour are not meeting expectations and the Liberal Democrats will continue to call for the creation of a 24/7 mental health service in Wales alongside increases in funding towards mental health services in Wales.

“The work voluntary organisations who work with young people suffering from poor mental health do is invaluable and if we are to tackle this epidemic, the Welsh Government must look at sustainable funding capacity for those organisations.”