Our Man in Westminster – The New Independent Review Into Mental Health Conditions

Since being elected to Parliament, I have been using my public platform to champion and
improve mental health services in the NHS. I know, as a previous mental health nurse –
and now as a Member of Parliament through the many correspondences from constituents
needing medication or stuck on mental health waiting lists – just how much services need
to be improved.

This is why I was pleased to see the Government publish its independent review into
mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, looking at how these conditions can be better
managed and treated – either through earlier intervention or better use of medication.
It is incredibly important that we start treating mental and physical health with the same
level of respect and deliver on the promise of parity of esteem that consecutive
Governments have spoken about but failed to deliver. Creating a greater understanding of
conditions, such as autism and ADHD, as well as breaking the stigma around speaking
about mental health conditions, so we can understand the greater contributing factors,
will be central to helping people living with mental health conditions.

I have been actively engaging with Ministers from the Department of Health and Social
Care and the Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, about this over the past few months, so
seeing this positive action has been incredibly encouraging, and I look forward to seeing
how the Department of Health and Social Care will enact the findings of the review.

Similarly to this review, the Government has also introduced new measures through the
Youth Guarantee Scheme to assist the country’s young people who are not in education,
employment, or training (NEET). This £750 million boost will help a section of society who
have disproportionately high mental issues, such as anxiety and depression, find their way
into the workforce through apprenticeships and other schemes. I have been a vocal
supporter of measures to support our NEET population back to work, speaking in
interviews and op-eds with outlets from across the political spectrum about the benefits of
work improving mental health. I often saw in my previous profession how people who are
far too often written off because they are living with conditions such as depression or
anxiety can thrive with the correct support and structure in place – with their work
providing genuinely therapeutic effects.