Secretary of State for Health Therese Coffey today set out her plans for the NHS and social care.

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said:

"We’re hugely disappointed that the Secretary of State for Health failed to identify mental health as a clear priority in her announcement today. As the shockwaves from the pandemic continue to reverberate and the country falls further into a cost of living crisis, the combined pressure risks pushing mental health services to breaking point.

“The government must deliver bold and funded plans to meet rising demand for mental health support. It needs to clarify that much needed funding to resolve the issue of delayed discharge will also be made available to mental health social care. Delivering a cross-government plan will help, alongside a new Mental Health Act. If the Secretary of State truly believes that the patient’s priorities are the same as hers, she needs to ensure that mental health is much higher up the agenda.”