We are in 2021, yet people are still struggling to access free mental health care quickly. Many are being told that they need to pay if they want immediate treatment, and for those of you who aren’t aware, private help can go into the thousands. 

Having a mental illness is bad enough without the added pressure of worrying how you’ll pay for treatment. We live in one of the most developed countries in the world, yet it seems only the rich are able to get access to quick care. Waiting months/ years for therapy is putting lives at risk and many suicides do result after failing to get proper treatment.

This isn’t a clinical issue, but rather a governmental one. In 2015, the government made a plan to ensure that people would achieve better access to mental health services by 2020. However, a recent study by the Royal College of Psychiatrists has shown that some people are still waiting 6 months and others up to 4 years for treatment. Two-fifths of those waiting ended up in crisis or in the emergency services.

The Covid19 pandemic has given rise to a mental health epidemic, making it more vital than ever to reduce waiting times. My MP told me that the government take mental illness seriously. If that’s correct then they will fix waiting times for treatment. I ask for them to ensure that every person in this country can get access to treatment within the month that they ask for it. 

If you believe that people deserve quick access to NHS mental health treatment, please sign and share this petition.