Charities Call For Action Over 'Worsening Mental Health Crisis' In NI

A number of charities are to meet at Westminster to seek action over the "worsening mental health crisis" in Northern Ireland.

The meetings will take place in today, 20 February, after talks collapsed to restore power-sharing in NI.

Together for You, a group of Northern Ireland's mental health charities, will be lead by Action Mental Health, the Mental Health Foundation and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

David Babington of Action Mental Health said: "The rest of the UK needs to understand that while we in Northern Ireland have endured over a year with no functioning government, our health service is being starved of funding and decision making, and we are seeing a deeply worrying rate of suicide. It’s hard to believe that more people have now died through suicide than were killed in the Troubles, but the statistic is very real and so is the suffering taking place here. This cannot be allowed to continue. Where is the duty of care to the people of Northern Ireland? Moreover, where is the £50 Million in extra funding for mental health which was promised nearly a year ago? Is anyone in charge?

"We have been calling for the appointment of a Mental Health Champion to work across government in Northern Ireland to tackle the mental health crisis for years. This appointment is more pertinent now than ever in the face of ongoing political deadlock. Northern Ireland has a 25% higher overall prevalence of mental illness than England – 1 in 5 adults here has a mental health condition at any one time. People are dying and this is simply unacceptable."

(CD)