Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Advisor to the UK Government, confirmed today that there was no Government plan to mitigate the mental health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic under questioning by Mind.
During questioning by Garden Court Chambers Barrister Roger Pezzani, representing Mind, Professor Whitty was asked whether he believed that there was no plan to mitigate mental health problems during the pandemic. He responded, “In broad terms, my answer is yes”.
Professor Whitty added that part of the difficulty in planning for mental health impacts was that lockdowns were not part of the original plan. He expressed particular concern for young people’s mental health and continued: “The surge in children and young people’s mental health demand since the pandemic – and specifically the impact of eating disorders – is a very serious issue.
“Is this going to revert to the baseline that was there before or is this something which has been a step change, and is the on for a longer period of time and has implications for how we configure services over the next 15 years?”
Professor Whitty's acknowledgement confirms Mind’s long-standing concerns that the UK Government did not have a mental health plan in place as part of the Covid-19 preparations. Experts at the Department of Health and Social Care recognised the risk of public mental health worsening due to the pandemic, lockdowns and social isolation as early as May 2020.
Poor or worsening mental health puts people at greater risk of becoming vulnerable, with difficulties accessing medicine, support services and treatment. There was also an increased risk of harm from self-harm, and there were clear risks to children and young people in mental health crises being unable to access help.
Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, said: “The lack of a plan to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic, including months-long lockdowns, is a shocking and unacceptable failure.
“It became clear very early on that further measures to mitigate the virus would be needed – at Mind, we were highlighting the need for better mental health support in May 2020. But still, no plan for mental health was put in place, either then or after the pandemic, where everything has just been expected to return to business as usual. Many people are still facing challenges with their mental health, and services have not been increased to meet that need.
“Mental health must be at the centre of future emergency plans. This cannot happen again.”
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