We want as many people as possible to sign up to our Mental Health Watch campaign, online or via the form below. It is hoped that by doing so it will give comfort to those who suffer, as well as highlight how strongly people feel about the issue.
The campaign has already received official backing from the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge and the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Today, as momentum gathers, four more MPs have added their support.
Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said he had already been encouraged by progress made.
“The Government is putting more money into mental health and we are making sure that clinical commissioning groups are passing that money on to mental health trusts,” he said. “We have to accept the problems have been long-standing – some of them are so entrenched they go back decades – so this will not be a quick fix. But with determined efforts over the next few years I know that we can create the mental health service in Norfolk and Suffolk people deserve.”
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dan Poulter said: “Often NHS services are only seen through the prism of the district general hospital and services such as cancer and stroke care. As a result, healthcare funding systems tend to prioritise physical over mental health. This clearly needs to change, and as someone who works as a doctor in mental health services, I warmly welcome the EADT’s campaign to highlight the needs of patients with mental illness, and their families and carers.”
West Suffolk MP Matthew Hancock added: “It is encouraging that Mental Health Watch has been set up to increase awareness and reduce stigma of those suffering with a mental illness in Suffolk and Norfolk.
“The Government set aside £1bn in the recent Budget to start new access standards for mental health. But there is still work to be done. So I support this pledge and look forward to working to make it a reality. ”
Waveney MP Peter Aldous also gave his backing.
Today, key figures in mental health will be discussing their experiences and plans for the future at a conference hosted by the NSFT at University Campus Suffolk.
Published in the EADT.