York Central MP warns city in midst of ‘mental health breakdown’
A newly elected Labour MP has warned that York is “in the midst of a mental health breakdown” as she made her maiden speech in the House of Commons.
Rachael Maskell said it was “deeply regrettable” that mental health was absent from the Queen’s Speech, adding that Labour would fight for those who experience mental health challenges.
The MP for York Central said she had worked in the NHS for two decades and was the “first ever” physiotherapist to become an MP.
She said: “While our reputation goes before us and I trust for you that that’s been positive and not too painful, I assure you that I will not be using my position to massage facts or manipulate statistics but instead I will exercise my voice to benefit those I represent in my constituency of York Central.”
She paid tribute to her predecessor Sir Hugh Bayley who she said had entered the Commons with a “keen interest in health”.
She said: “Health and care is about the essence of life and that of our families and communities. As we’ve seen over the last five years passions have been stirred as members of this House absent of evidence took to taking our NHS and putting it on the open market, inviting the profiteers of the sick to run our health service instead of the state.”
She also paid tribute to the NHS staff she had represented as Unite’s head of health.
Speaking about the current challenges facing the NHS, Ms Maskell said: “But there’s something more urgent – mental health. York is in the midst of a mental health breakdown. Nationally we saw mental health services cut by the last Government by 8.25% taking its toll in York. Services to the most vulnerable, children and adults in our society.
“It was therefore deeply regrettable that mental health was absent from the Queen’s Speech and it will clearly be this Labour opposition that fights for those who experience mental health challenges.”
Ms Maskell warned that “our NHS is in a dangerous state” as she called for York to have a new state of the art mental health facility.
She said: “It’s simple ministers, lives are at risk until you deliver.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2015, All Rights Reserved.
