Miliband pledges to end neglect of child mental health issues

Ed Miliband will today announce “end the scandal of neglect” when it comes to child mental health issues. Speaking to a mental health group in Enfield, Miliband will emphasise prevention, early intervention and better support as vital to treating mental health.

Today’s visit comes as Miliband launches the publication of a report into mental health provision, the result of independent research commissioned by the Labour leader more than two years ago.

Labour will prioritise increasing the proportion of the mental health care budget spent on children. Before the launch today, Miliband said:

“It cannot be right that when three quarters of adult mental illness begins in childhood, children’s mental health services get just 6% of the budget.

“These vital services have been stripped back while £3billion has been wasted on an NHS reorganisation.”

Under the proposals, teachers will be trained in child mental health so they are able to identify, support and refer children with mental health issues. Miliband noted yesterday that one in ten children suffer from mental health problems, but almost three-quarters do not receive help.

He claimed that emphasis on early prevention and treatment in children would have knock-on effects in both education and in adults’ health and care. Helping children would in the long-term end up “lessening some of the demand on mental health services when young people turn into adults,” Miliband said.  “Taking action to improve mental health is essential if we are to thrive as a nation and ensure the NHS remains sustainable.”

Among other proposals in the area are:

•An expansion of talking therapies, working towards a 28-day waiting-time standard for access to both adult and young people’s talking therapies.

• Local authorities, the NHS and schools should work together to ensure all children can access school-based counselling or therapy if they need it.