New Report Recommends Mental Health Crisis Should Be At Heart Of Wider Government Policy

A new manifesto signed by leading mental health charities has advocated for a holistic policy approach to help to "turn the tide" of rising levels of mental ill health, with Labour signalling they would be open to reviewing how central government can place mental health at its heart.

MPs across the political divide have welcomed the Manifesto for a Healthier Nation, a document produced by mental health charities which has called for more cross-government work on mental health and reform of outdated legislation to become party policies for the general election. More than 60 charities, including Centre for Mental Health, Mind, the NSPCC and Marie Curie have co-signed a manifesto which focuses on policy recommendations for government on improving prevention of mental ill health, improving equality of care and access to support services. 

The manifesto argues that holistic policy approach to mental health is needed across the whole of Government, including in education, public health, justice, social services and social housing.

"By instituting a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach, the Government can embed a new way of making decisions that will benefit all of us," the report said.

Recommendations include restructuring how Government decisions are made by putting in place a ‘Mental Health Test’ during the development of policies and by restoring the public health grant to its 2015 level with an annual £1bn boost. 

The organisations involved also repeated the call for reform of the Mental Health Act to “reduce the use of coercion and tackle racial disparities in the mental health system” and backed up by investment in the mental health estate.

"We recognise that our recommendations amount to a very significant financial