On 5th May local elections will be held in towns and cities across the country, including Newcastle-under-Lyme, where voters will choose borough and parish councillors.
North Staffs Green Party are standing candidates in wards in the borough to build on their strong performance in the 2021 county council elections.Candidates will be endorsing as part of their manifesto the four-point plan for creating ‘mentally healthier council areas’ put forward by the Centre for Mental Health.
The four points making up the plan involve reducing poverty, improving the environment, ensuring access to quality mental health services and giving children the best possible start in life.
Actions called for under the plan include calling on councils to improve support for people struggling to make ends meet, provide funding for services to support children and young people, creating a healthy environment, and investing in substance misuse services.
In February the NHS Confederation and the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned that the pandemic had caused a dramatic rise in the number of people experiencing mental health problems.
At that time there were 1.6million people waiting for specialised treatment and a further 8million who couldn’t even get onto the waiting list. In some parts of the country services were ‘bouncing back’ people presenting with serious problems because they were unable to cope with the level of demand.
Dr Adrian James president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists told the Guardian “Millions of children, young people and adults are seeking help from mental health services that are overstretched and under-resourced. The situation is critical”.
Going on to say, “We urgently need a fully funded mental health recovery plan, backed by a long-term workforce plan, to ensure everyone with a mental illness can get the help they need when they need it”.
Anxiety caused by the rising cost of living and the war in Ukraine are expected to add to the pressures on people who may already be severely stressed after two years of lockdowns and restrictions.
A spokesperson for North Staffs Green Party said, “After two of the toughest years in living memory and with more difficult times possibly to come people are feeling stressed and on edge, for some that can tip over into mental health problems”.
Adding “we want to see providing services for people who need help and creating an environment that promotes good physical and mental health put at the centre of how councils make decisions, that is why we back these proposals”.