PM Pledges £1bn To End 'Shame' Of Mental Illness

New mums and teenagers are the target for new investment into mental health problems to be announced by the Prime Minister today.

David Cameron will say it is time "to stop sweeping mental health issues under the carpet" and end the "shame and embarrassment" of sufferers.

Almost £1bn will be used to "transform" mental health services, creating the first ever waiting times for teenagers with eating disorders, providing access for specialist mental health care for new and expectant mums and improving waiting times for people with psychosis.

The measures being announced are:

:: £290m of new investment over the next five years to provide mental health care for new mums

:: £247m to invest in liaison mental health services in emergency departments

:: Over £400m to enable 24/7 treatment in communities as an alternative to hospital

:: Expanded services to help teenagers with eating disorders.

The Prime Minister is expected to say: "Mental illness isn't contagious. There's nothing to be frightened of.

"As a country, we need to be far more mature about this. Less hushed tones, less whispering; more frank and open discussion.

"We need to take away that shame, that embarrassment, let people know that they're not in this alone, that when the clouds descend, they don't have to suffer silently.

"I want us to be able to say to anyone who is struggling, 'talk to someone, ask your doctor for help and we will always be there to support you’."

Millions of people are expected to develop a problem such as a form of depression or anxiety this year alone, and suicide is now the leading cause of death for men under 50.

One in five new mothers develop a mental health problem around the time of the birth of their child. If untreated, this can turn into a lifelong illness.

Doctors have welcomed the investment.

Dr Ellie Cannon told Sky News: "I see huge inequalities between the way we treat physical health and the way we treat mental health in the NHS.

"There are still very long waiting lists for mental health services a lot of mental health services have been cut prior to these proposals, so certainly improving that disparity is going to be a really welcome change."

But Luciana Berger MP, Labour’s shadow minister for mental health, described today's announcement was "too little too late".

She said: "On David Cameron’s watch mental health spending dropped for the first time in a decade. He has presided over service cuts, staff shortages and widespread poor-quality care."