Prime minister to outline action on mental health

Prime minister Theresa May is expected to announce government action on mental health in a major domestic policy speech on Monday, including moves to help reduce suicide.

She is expected to give a speech outlining the government’s formal response to last year’s report by an NHS England task force, which called for action to ensure parity of esteem between people with physical conditions and those with mental ill health, the Guardian reports.

School and workplace strategies

The prime minister is expected to set out steps schools can take to identify and assist vulnerable pupils, including those likely to be affected by pressures of social media use. Ms May is also expected to outline measures employers can take to help staff who have to take time off work because of mental health problems.

Speaking outside Downing Street on her first day in office last July, Ms May listed shortcomings in mental health services as one of the ‘burning injustices’ she wanted to address as prime minister, saying ‘if you have mental health problems, there’s not enough help to hand’.

Monday’s address will be the prime minister’s first major speech on health since coming to power, seven months into a premiership which has so far been dominated by Brexit.

Further information:

New prime minister, same health secretary: what now for nurses and the NHS?

Provide more resources to tackle suicide, say ministers

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