Anyone who has supported a loved one with an eating disorder will appreciate Wera Hobhouse’s tireless efforts to get better support and services for those living with these terrible and distressing conditions. 1.25 million people have an eating disorder in the UK. Eating disorders can impact anybody, and everybody. As chair of the Eating disorders […]
mental health
Taking a stand on mental health
The recent pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have caused a severe deepening of a mental health crisis that was already facing the nation. It is astonishing that mental health has not featured at all in the Conservative Party’s conference. Contrast this with the commendable motion put forward by the Young Liberals on “Taking a stand […]
17 May 2022- today’s press releases
The Liberal Democrats are the main challengers to the Conservatives in Tiverton and Honiton NI Protocol Changes: Risks starting a trade war with our largest trading partner Welsh Liberal Democrats call for 24/7 mental health service The Liberal Democrats are the main challengers to the Conservatives in Tiverton and Honiton Responding to the announcement that […]
Onley letter: Suicide risk assessment must be improved
Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park, and Steve Mallen, co-founder of the Zero Suicide Alliance are the lead signatories in an open letter to Sajid Javid published in yesterday’s Times. Onley and national charities have teamed up with Philip Pirie whose son Tom, a young teacher, took his own life a day after a counsellor […]
Cooper: NHS rocked by mental health tidal wave
The Liberal Democrats have warned the NHS is at breaking point after new figures uncovered a mental health crisis sweeping through staff across health services in the UK. A Freedom of Information Request tabled by the Party to all NHS Hospital Trusts has revealed that there have been at least 8.3 million mental health sick […]
The importance of acknowledging mental health
In November 2020, I had a breakdown. I was a postgraduate student when the news broke that Covid-19 was worse than we thought, resulting in all classes going online. We all thought it would last a few weeks, have a few awkward Zoom interactions, then it would all be over and remembered as a strange […]
Why waiting times matter in mental health
18 weeks. That’s the target waiting time, often missed, from referral to being seen. From now in deepest darkest December to Mid April, what an age that is. It’s hard on adults. Arguably harder when that’s how long some of our most distressed young people have to wait for support. 18 weeks or 4 months […]
World Suicide Prevention Day: A councillor view from the hill farm
It is World Suicide Prevention Day. Tracey and Richard Huffer farm high on a hill in south west Shropshire. Tracey is also a health professional. Along with myself and four others, we are Lib Dem councillors in a very rural area. Sometimes it feels we can’t sit down for a chat without mentioning the “s” […]
Mental health pressures on Olympic competitors
Liberal Democrats have been strongly campaigning on mental health for several years now. Here is the party’s response to Simone Biles’ acknowledgement of the pressures she has been under. She has won a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals in gymnastics and the expectations placed on her are exceptional. And if you are […]
Depression, Section 136 and a Senedd Candidate
Recently reading that nearly 5 people every day were sectioned across Wales during 2020 really had an effect on me. I decided to stand for election because of my experience not only in the business world but because I am one of those detentions by the police under section 136 of the 1983 mental health […]