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Mental health spending

Some local councils spend only a few pounds per person on it.

Many are crying out for support and are placed on waiting lists.

Government should ringfence a portion of the NHS budget of mental health spending to make send a message that it is a national priority for the country.

Doing this could make fund a range of mental health support services across the country.  It could dramatically reduce waiting times for those who desperately need talking therapies to training more mental health workers in the NHS, local charities and in schools. 

Prioritising mental health spending isn't only the right thing to do for the health of the nation, but it also makes economic sense. For every pound that the government spends on mental health services, they will likely save much more from having to be prescribed to use medicines to falling into the criminal justice system.

Last week's Autumn Statement predictably referred to that familiar buzzword called 'productivity.' In economic terms, it means the amount that workers produce every hour.

If we want a productive nation, we need to have a healthy nation and if your mental health is suffering, then we all suffer.

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