Political opinion: Call for improvements to Sussex mental health services as UK marks Mental Health Awareness Week

Peter Lamb—Labour candidate for Crawley, has called for the Government to get to grips with mental health services in Sussex, as figures continue to reveal local people left unable to access vital support when needed.

The latest figures for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust reveal that over a quarter of those with suspected psychosis—or loss of awareness of reality—still have not entered treatment within two weeks of diagnosis, five times higher than the NHS target and leaving both patients and those around them potentially at risk.

In addition, the most recent figures for NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board reveal that over the last quarter a staggering 3,845 referrals were closed before the patient had received any treatment at all.

Since 2010, the NHS England has experienced the loss of one-in-four mental health beds, with waiting times for treatment soaring and no clear Government plan for improving provision. The result is that hundreds of thousands of people are turned away from services without accessing treatment.

The Labour Party have pledged to tackle these problems by recruiting thousands more mental health staff, guaranteeing treatment within a month, and providing access to a mental health professional in every school.

As the UK marks Mental Health Awareness Week, Peter Lamb—Labour candidate for Crawley, has called on the Government to get to grips with local mental health services in Sussex:"The latest figures show a mental health system in crisis after 14 years of Conservative government. Children and adults should not be languishing in A&E because they can't receive the treatment they need in the community.

"The Conservatives either need to wake up to the stark reality facing NHS mental health provision and put in place a plan to rescue these services or they should get out of the way so that a Labour Government can get the job done."