Saturday, October 10th was World Mental Health Day and to coincide with #WMHD2020 , I published my ‘MP’s guide to Mental Health’ which you can download from the bottom of this page.
I also took the opportunity to discuss mental health provision in South West Surrey and some of the issues we currently face. To help me do this, I held a virtual roundtable with Professor Tim Kendall (NHS National Clinical Director for Mental Health), Dr Claire Fuller (Head of NHS Surrey Heartlands) and members of staff from Godalming College on Friday, October 9th.
When I was Health Secretary, I published a green paper which committed to establishing a mental health lead in every secondary school and college. My vision was that there should be a designated teacher who would undergo special training to enable them to spot mental health issues early and make sure every student got the right help or treatment.
In the years since my green paper, this has started to be implemented, but I worry that change is not happening fast enough, and the current COVID-19 pandemic is making the situation worse.
To find out more about World Mental Health Day please visit wmhd2020.com
Finally, if you or someone you know is in need of support you should contact:
NHS 111
The Samaritans on 116 123
Mind – The Mental Health Charity at mind.org.uk or 0300 123 3393 (open 9am–6pm, Monday–Fri)
