Professor Wendy Burn, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: “We welcome the plan’s much-needed focus on mental health and the commitment to spend a bigger share of the NHS budget in this area, we have worked hard to have this included and are very pleased that we have been listened to.
“Too many people living with mental illness experience significant waiting times for treatment and are forced to travel long distances for care. Where there has been new investment there has been improved access to services such as perinatal and we want this to be true in all parts of the system.
“In order to fulfil these promises we need the skilled mental health workforce to deliver the help patients need.
“The mental health sector has been striving to put mental and physical health services on an equal footing and we will continue our fight for that over the long term.
"We will keep a close eye on how effectively these plans are being delivered and hold decision-makers to account, to ensure that promised money reaches frontline services."
For further information, please contact:
- Email: press@rcpsych.ac.uk
- Twitter: @rcpsych
- Out-of-hours contact number: 07860 755896