Theresa May to announce extra funding for child mental health treatment

Theresa May is set to use her first major speech of 2017 to announce extra help for young people with mental health problems.

Written by:  John Ashmore

Theresa May speaking outside Downing St the day she became Prime MinisterCredit: PA

 

 

The Times reports that Mrs May will use an address on Monday to try to shift the focus away from Brexit and on to other policy areas.

While she has committed to outlining her “vision” for Britain’s post-Brexit future, the Prime Minister is also apparently keen for her premiership not to become overwhelmed by arguments over Europe.

However Downing St made clear the speech had been planned before news of the resignation of Britain’s top EU diplomat, Sir Ivan Rogers, earlier this week.

On becoming Prime Minister, she said there was “not enough help” for patients with mental health problems and she is expected to announce new policies to ensure mental health patients have parity of treatment with other NHS patients.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt acknowledged that child mental health was “possibly the biggest single area of weakness in NHS provision at the moment”.

He particularly identified the need to focus on younger children to ensure they do not develop conditions which become harder to treat later in life.

“I think we are letting down too many families and not intervening early enough when there is a curable mental health condition, which we can do something about when a child is eight or nine, but if you leave it until they are 15 or 16, it’s too late,” Mr Hunt told the Health Service Journal.

 

 

 

 

Credit: Politics Home

 

 

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