What the general election manifestos say about mental health

In the build up to the 4 July general election, all major political parties are sharing their plans for the country if they get voted in. We've pulled together this summary of pledges made about mental health. 

Conservatives 

• Open early support hubs for those aged 11 - 25 in every community by 2030
• Ensure Mental Health Support Teams cover all schools and colleges in England by 2030
• Increase Individual Placement and Support employment services by 140,000 places
• Legislate to provide “better treatment and support” for severe mental health needs
• Increase planned expansion of NHS Talking Therapies by 50%
• Reform the Work Capability Assessment with an emphasis on requiring more people with mental illnesses to work

Green Party 

• Increase funding for mental health care to give it parity with physical health
• Place a trained and paid counsellor in every school and sixth-form college
• Require councils to provide free transport for 16-18 year olds with disabilities
• Reform eligibility tests for welfare such as Personal Independence Payment

Labour  

• Recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff
• Open hubs to provide open access mental health services for children and young people in every community
• Reform the Mental health Act to provide more autonomy and dignity to those in inpatient care
• Work with local areas to create plans to support more people with disabilities and health conditions into work
• Replace the current Work Capability Assessment
• Guarantee the rights of those in residential care to see their families

Liberal Democrats  

• Offer regular mental health check-ups at key points in people’s lives when they are most vulnerable to mental ill-health
• Open walk-in hubs for children and young people in every community
• Put a qualified mental health professional in every school
• Extend young people’s mental health services to the age of 25
• Scrap prescription charges for those being treated for chronic mental health conditions
• Reform the Mental health Act to provide more autonomy and dignity to those in inpatient care.
• Establishment of a statutory Mental Health Commissioner
• End out-of-area mental health placements by increasing capacity and coordination between services
• Increase Carers Allowance and expand eligibility
• Make caring a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act

Reform UK 

• Launch an inquiry into Social Media Harms including those associated with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, suicide and the child mental health crisis
• Reform benefit support & training to start to motivate up to 2 million people back to work and with a particular focus on 16-34 year olds
• Integrate Mental Health Services with Job Seeking Pathways

For an overview of key policies relating to women's health, maternity care, and mental health from the Conservatives, Labour party and Liberal Democrats, see this helpful resource from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.