Part two of our ‘Plan for the Future’

The Lib Dems will treat mental health with the same urgency as physical health.

The NHS is the envy of the world, but our mental health service is not. Waiting times are being missed, people are not being referred for the treatment they need, and often action is taken only when at 'crisis' point, or too late. That is why the Lib Dems are dedicated to transforming mental health services by treating them with the same urgency as physical health.

As part of our Plan for the Future, a Lib Dem Government will invest £11 billion into mental health areas such as:

• Child and adolescent mental health
  Matching waiting time standards to those in physical health
  Expanding our mental health workforce

Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. For too many, treatment is a postcode lottery; with waiting times for psychological therapy varying from 16 days in Waltham Forest, to 176 days in Leicester.

Making mental health services accessible to all is fundamental, and no one should be forced to travel unreasonable distances away from home. By prioritising young people coming out of care, and supporting students, from school through to colleges and universities, it is possible to ensure that no one will have to travel out of area for all but the most specialist mental health services.

By putting a penny in the pound on Income Tax and ringfencing £11 billion in funding for mental health, the Lib Dems will provide real parity between mental and physical health care. We want to make prescriptions for people with chronic mental health conditions available for free on the NHS, as is the case for conditions such as cancer and diabetes.

Brexit, whether carried out by the Conservative or Labour Party, will put the NHS at risk. Our commitment will ensure it is kept safe and out of the hands of Donald Trump.

The Lib Dems' Plan for the Future aims to build a brighter future for our country, learn more here.