In 2012, the government pledged to treat mental and physical health equally with the Health and Social Care act. The government said they hoped to achieve this by 2020. However, it is now 2019, and the bridge between physical health and mental health has never been wider. 

For years, the NHS has been underfunded for its mental health department, given only £115M per year for mental health services up and down the country. This means each adult patient who is being treated for mental health is given a budget of only £9.75.

At 16 years old, I have already had my fair share of experiences with mental illness, and I can safely say, the state our mental health services are in is disgraceful. From lack of funding for medication, to placing young people in units miles from home, the government needs to step up in regards to supporting those who suffer with their mental health, which is 1 in 4 of us, according to a 2007 survey conducted by the NHS. With such a high number of us affected, almost everyone reading this will know someone who has been, or is currently, suffering from a mental illness. This means that our loved ones, our friends and our family members are not being supported. 

I ask that the British government take this issue seriously, and to give us the funding that was promised before more lives are altered forever due to this appalling lack of care.