New report on rural mental health

Today’s report from the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Rural Mental Health gives some helpful recommendations and highlights the importance of this issue, which can often be thought of as an urban issue.

In England, the Public Health Grant has to fund a wide range of programmes to protect and promote good health in our local communities. This money is all LA’s have to spend on suicide prevention and, as a result of real term cuts to the grant of 26% since 2015, this work, which saves lives, will stop without a significant increase to funding.

ADPH President, Prof Jim McManus, who gave evidence to the Committee last year, said:

We must do more, not only to raise awareness and support people who are suffering, but to address the causes of mental health issues.