Young People’s Mental Health and local Candidates’ Support 2/2

Continuing from yesterday’s post. (click here to read) ….

Sam Al-Hamdani (Liberal Democrat)’s reply to how the candidate and party intend to support young people’s Mental Health:

Many thanks for your email – I have signed the pledge to support young people’s mental health. 

My wife works in mental health – for a charity in Manchester which supports young people. I have seen in the last few years the changes in targeting and funding which have affected the way they work, making much of their work focused on short term and crisis response targets, rather than working with people before they reach crisis. 

That is why I am proud to represent a party which has put so much emphasis on ensuring that mental health is treated equally to physical health. 

Liberal Democrats will transform mental health services with an additional £11 billion in mental health services over the next five years, by putting a penny on income tax. This money will go towards child and adolescent mental health services, matching waiting time standards for children’s mental services to those in physical health, and expanding our mental health workforce.

We will support students from school through to colleges and universities. Schools are on the front line in dealing with children and young adults with mental health issues so we will ensure that all teaching staff have the training to identify mental health issues and that schools provide immediate access for pupil support and counselling. 

We will also establish a Student Mental Health Charter which will require all universities and colleges to support student’s mental health and require universities to make mental health services accessible to their students  

Providing real equality between mental and physical health care is critical. We want to make prescriptions for people with chronic mental health conditions available for free on the NHS, as is the case for conditions such as cancer and diabetes. We will also end the use of inappropriate out-of-area placements so no one will have to travel out of area for all but the most specialist mental health services.

Liberal Democrats will transform mental health services, ensuring that mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health. We are committing more money for mental health services than any other party. We will always champion and prioritise young people’s mental health. 

I hope that this shows you the priority that both I and my party put on mental health. 

Best regards, 

Sam

Sam Al-Hamdani

To date no reply from Conservatives, Green Party or Brexit Party

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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