Jon Cruddas MP, Member of Parliament for Dagenham & Rainham has released data showing the huge numbers of local people stuck on mental health waiting lists, as calls grow for the Government to address their failed handling of mental health services across the country.
Since 2010, the Conservative Government have cut one-in-four mental health beds across the country, as waiting times for treatment have soared. Across the North East London Integrated Care Board area which includes the constituency of Dagenham & Rainham, there were 13385 children on waiting lists in December and 52660 adults.
Many mental health services are at breaking point after 13 years of Conservative Government – staff are overstretched, and NHS services have been neglected for over a decade. The result is that hundreds of thousands of people are turned away from services without having any treatment. Across North East London in December, 10765 referrals were closed before the patient received any treatment, a staggering number.
Labour has a plan to tackle these problems, by recruiting thousands more mental health staff, guaranteeing treatment within a month, providing access to a mental health professional in every school.
Jon Cruddas said: "These figures demonstrate just how much our community, and our children, are suffering after 13 years of Conservative government. Children should not be languishing in A&E because they can't receive treatment in the community.
"Our children deserve better – it's why the next Labour Government will enshrine a preventative approach to mental health, opening mental health hubs for children and young people locally and making sure that all of our local schools have access to a mental health professional."