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The beginning of Mental Health Awareness week was marked by grim tidings that, for the first time in recorded history, the number of people on an waiting list for mental health treatment has hit 2 million. This is more than the combined population of four major British cities and is a shocking indictment of the Tories' failed record on mental health. 
As someone who grew up with and later overcame a stammer, I know all too well the difficulties and challenges that having one can bring. I was very glad and honoured to join Dermot and Alison on This Morning once again to talk about stammers and the wonderful work that Stamma charity do.
As someone who has had close friends and family members with eating disorders, I know just how damaging and dangerous they can be. I was proud to join my friend Hope Virgo at the Dump The Scales march to Parliament Square on Saturday with hundreds of campaigners and activists. The Government’s attitude towards eating disorders must fundamentally change. They must listen to campaigners and experts, like Hope, to ensure everyone with an eating disorder gets the care they need. It was brilliant to speak at the Watercooler event in the ExCeL London today, for a discussion on mental health in Government and the NHS. Rather than railing against a "sick note" culture as Rishi Sunak has done recently, we must be encouraging more openness and understanding around mental health.
As part of my previous work as Shadow Minister for Mental Health and in my capacity as an A&E doctor at St George's, I know firsthand the toll that working on the NHS frontline can take.
Today, I asked the Government whether they will continue to fund mental health support services past the 12 months they've committed to. Shamefully, the Minister refused to commit to funding. This is just further proof that this Tory Government couldn't care less about our NHS heroes.
Yesterday, I was delighted to join CEN for their Healing our Broken Village Black Mental Health Conference at the New Testament Assembly church in Tooting. With continued racial disparities in sectioning and the use of community treatment orders, more must be done to bring about much-needed change. 
As part of my former role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, I worked very closely with Melanie Leahy and other campaigners affected by the terrible deaths in Essex mental health hospitals.
The Terms of Reference for the inquiry into this scandal have now at long last been published. This inquiry has been beset by delays since the beginning, which is simply not good enough.
After more than a year of waiting, the Government has finally responded to the Joint Committee report on the draft Mental Health Bill.
In that time, they kicked mental health into the long grass while patients continued to suffer. The Government response is poor - rejecting vital calls for a Mental Health Commissioner, refusing to ban discriminatory Community Treatment Orders and ignoring a right to culturally appropriate advocacy. Why make us wait so long and not provide any meaningful change? With waiting lists higher than ever, we need bold action on mental health. It is clear the Tories are simply not up to the job. A Labour Government must bring forward mental health reform with the recommendations of the committee at its core. Every year in Westminster, there is a debate on Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. Every year, politicians agree the children's mental health crisis must end. But nothing changes and children continue to be let down by inaction. Today, I led calls in Parliament for this to change. In today's Guardian, my latest figures reveal that thousands of people are re-admitted to mental health hospitals within days or weeks of leaving it, wreaking havoc on people's lives. Why? Because the Tories cut a quarter of mental health beds and patients don't get the care they deserve. Read the full story here  |
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