I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make mental health first-aid part of first-aid training requirements; and for connected purposes.
This is my second attempt to bring this Bill to the House, and as before, I will speak about the sensitive topics of mental health and suicide, share the scale of public support through the excellent “Where’s Your Head At?” campaign, outline the economic and business benefits, and share why the Bill will bring hope to those who are struggling to cope in times of difficulty. Ultimately, at the heart of the Bill is a simple request: to create parity between mental health and physical health first aid in the workplace.
There is no doubting that the world has changed, not only in post-covid era but through the rise in technology, the relentlessness of social media, and an “always-on” culture. Our working environments are shifting rapidly but we, as humans, have not changed. We still have emotions; we still feel love and loss, happiness and grief, and joy and pain. We have goals and ambitions, and hopes and expectations. Sometimes they can be overwhelming, and at times we can find it hard to express how we feel. When we feel vulnerable, we may find it hard to know who to speak to when times are tough.
In my previous attempt to introduce the Bill, I spoke about the impact of hearing, as a teenager, my sister sob when she heard the news of a friend’s death by suicide. To frame the importance of this Bill, I ask those listening to think for a moment about someone they may have lost in their own lives. What would we all give to hold a loved one’s hand just one more time, to hear them knock at the door just once more, or to have just one more conversation? What would we give to have that loved one here today?
As I have said before, if suicide were a virus, we would be on the hunt for a vaccine. If loneliness were a disease, would we not search for a cure? At the extreme end, we are talking about saving lives with this Bill. The House of Commons Library reports that in 2021 alone, 6,319 deaths by suicide were registered in Great Britain. Although suicide rates have declined over recent decades, and, thankfully, the 20th-century stigma and shame around mental health have shifted, there is always more to do. That is why I am backing “Baton of Hope”, a new charity campaign that is part of a growing movement aspiring to a zero-suicide society. Achieving that will not be easy, and of course we cannot bring back those we have lost, but with early intervention and—through the Bill—the right signposting at the right time, we could prevent the loss of others.
The Bill is not just about preventing suicide, as important as that is. It is also about reflecting the reality of modern society, especially post covid. There is no doubt that mental health issues are on the rise. Stress, depression and anxiety have become the leading cause of lost working days since the 1990s. Let me share some data. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that 10 million more people will need mental health support as a direct result of the pandemic. That growing need was perhaps reflected most strongly this week, when it was announced that £150 million of additional funding for mental health services was going into the system. I was pleased that Watford General Hospital in my constituency received £355,000 for mental health services to support my constituents and those across west Hertfordshire.