Don't overlook mental health
Join our campaign to ensure that mental health is not left behind in the NHS reforms.
For too long mental health has struggled to be heard at the top table of NHS decision making, leaving many patients with a mental illness unable to access the care they need. We need your help to ensure that a new law being debated in Parliament does not overlook the needs of people with a mental illness.
Shockingly, the new law sets out a ‘Triple Aim’ for what every Integrated Care System (ICS) has to achieve but makes no reference to mental health. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is asking MPs to amend the ‘Triple Aim’ to include a clear reference to both mental and physical health and for ICSs to report every year on the steps they have taken to further parity of esteem for mental health.
Why now?
In the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, the Government agreed to legislate for parity of esteem for mental health by giving the Secretary of State a clear duty to promote mental as well as physical health. This has helped drive the NHS over recent years to pay more attention to mental health. We believe it would be a backward step if the new law does not include a legal duty to promote parity of esteem between mental and physical health at ICS level.
Take action
As MPs are preparing to debate the Bill, now is the time to make sure that your voice is heard, or it could be another decade before a chance comes again.
We know that psychiatrists are very busy, so we have made it as easy as possible. You just need to click the first button below and our system will be able to bring up a readymade email to your MP. You can then edit the text as much as you like and then click send.
If you are not a member of the RCPsych but still want to support the campaign please use the second button below instead.