Fund more staff training and better facilities in psychiatric hospitals

We want the government to increase funding to hire and train qualified professionals who understand mental health and their side effects and can deal with difficult situations in the correct manner.

Having witnessed first hand the poor treatment and neglect of mental health patients, I urge the government to increase funding for mental health services. This could ensure proper facilities in mental health units, including better bed and shower facilities. Additionally, I think patients should have access to more activities that keep them engaged and stimulated, rather than being told to stay in their rooms and sleep when they are unable to.

The Government has confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults to ease pressure on busy mental health services by the end of the Parliament. We are more than halfway towards our target.

We will also publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled. This will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

We will ensure that staff have better training, more fulfilling roles, and hope for the future, so they can achieve more.

At the end of March 2025, there were around 160,000 full time equivalent NHS Hospital and Community Health Services staff groups specifically providing or supporting the provision of mental health care in NHS Trusts and other core organisations in England. These figures include those who are providing or supporting the provision of mental health services.

For 2025-26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant increase of £688 million in spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year.

The Government is also committed to improving mental health accommodation. The NHS has invested £615 million to replace mental health dormitories with private rooms, following recommendations in the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act.

In addition, we have allocated £750 million over 2025-26 to address high-priority safety issues in NHS estates, including within mental health settings.

The 10 Year Health Plan sets out our vision for the neighbourhood health service. As part of this, we will transform the current mental health system so people can access the right support at the right time in the right place. We are piloting 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, which will bring together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services and short-stay beds.

We are investing £120 million to bring the total number of emergency departments to 85. These will provide reactive, short term intensive support for people in acute mental health crisis as an alternative to A&E. We are also investing £75 million of capital to help stop mental health patients being sent far from home for treatment.

We are also modernising mental health legislation. The Mental Health Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will give patients greater choice, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment.

NHS England’s mental health, learning disability and autism inpatient quality transformation programme will support cultural change and a new model of care for the future across all NHS-funded mental health inpatient settings. Local health systems have now published their 3-year plans for localising and realigning inpatient care in line with this vision.

Department of Health and Social Care