Mental Heath funding "will save lives and money in longer term" - McCarthy

9.53.39am GMT Tue 31st Oct 2006

Alliance Health Spokesperson, Kieran McCarthy

Alliance Party Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy has said Government must move quickly on recommendations from the nine reviews of Mental Health provision released today, saying that they would save both lives and money in the longer term.

The Strangford MLA stated: "Mental Health has always been the 'cinderella' of the Health Service, left out of the main focus. Proper funding for training and provision is long overdue, and now that so much time and money has been invested in this report, the recommendations in it must be implemented immediately.

"Money invested in mental health provision will gain a strong return in the long run, in terms both of saving lives and of saving money. The key is to ensure that as many people as possible can make a positive contribution to our society. For too long, too many people with mental health difficulties - a huge proportion of the population - have been

left out in the cold.

"Alongside reports on dementia and suicide prevention, we now have the research and recommendations to tackle every aspect of public health. There can be no further delay."

ENDS