Opinion: Data reveals long mental health waiting lists in Sheffield Heeley

Since 2010, the Conservative Government have cut one-in-four mental health beds across the country, as waiting times for treatment have soared. Across South Yorkshire’s Integrated Care Board, there were more than 10,000 children on waiting lists in December and more than 39,000 adults.

Many mental health services are at breaking point after 13 years of Conservative Government – staff are overstretched, and NHS services have been neglected for over a decade. The result is that hundreds of thousands of people are turned away from services without having any treatment. Across South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board in December, nearly 7,000 referrals were closed before the patient received any treatment, a staggering number.

Labour has a plan to tackle these problems, by recruiting thousands more mental health staff, guaranteeing treatment within a month, providing access to a mental health professional in every school.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley said:

"These figures demonstrate just how much our community, and our children, are suffering after 13 years of Conservative government. Children should not be languishing in A&E because they can't access basic services.

“I’m contacted by parents and carers on a regular basis who struggle to get their children the help and support their need with their mental health. Waiting lists are soaring and patients are left receiving inadequate treatment.

"Our children deserve better – it's why the next Labour Government will ensure a preventative approach to mental health, opening mental health hubs for children and young people locally and making sure that all of our local schools have access to a mental health professional."