Stephen Morgan MP has today slammed the Tories for their failures to get a grip on the crisis facing the NHS, leading to more people suffering on waiting lists and a rise in ill health related worklessness.
Analysis by the House of Commons library for Labour shows that there has been a rise of 794 people in Portsmouth claiming Universal Credit for health reasons over the last year.
Between December 2022 and December 2023, all 632 parliamentary constituencies in Britain saw an increase, with new figures showing that mental ill health is a key driver behind the rise.
The national number up by 400,000 in a year – and Government statistics show that over two thirds of all claims involve mental health problems.
The City MP had previously called on the Government to act to prevent the crisis in mental health services unfolding in the city, with recent figures in Portsmouth indicating 14,600 children on waiting lists and 33,225 adults.
The result is thousands of people are turned away from services without having any treatment. In Portsmouth, 7,725 referrals were closed before the patient received any treatment, a staggering number.
A united, mission focused Government is needed to address the crisis in mental health and to get people working and living fulfilled lives. Labour’s plan to help tackle one of the key drivers of worklessness before it takes hold, includes:
- Bringing down waiting times for mental health treatment by recruiting 8,500 new mental health staff
- Access to specialist mental health support in every school
- Mental health hubs for children and young people in every community
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
”A healthy nation is critical to a healthy economy but the Tories have failed on both – and the people of Portsmouth paying the price.
“I know from my discussions with constituents the number who are stuck on NHS and mental health waiting lists or locked out of work due to long term sickness, being held back from working and living fulfilling lives.
“The Tories cannot be the change from their own failings. Labour’s plan will tackle the root causes of worklessness by driving down NHS waiting lists, making work pay, and supporting people into good jobs across every part of the country, including right here in Portsmouth.”
The Portsmouth MP has taken a range of actions to date to help improve access to mental health services across Portsmouth, including raising concerns with regional health leaders; visiting front-line services; and holding Ministers to account in Parliament on their failure to take the mental health crisis seriously following the news that the Prime Minister has dropped his commitment to delivering the Mental Health Bill 2022.
