Luciana Berger, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health, commenting on a study from the King’s Fund highlighting the £11 billion cost of treating physical and mental health separately, said:

“This study exposes the gap between the Tory Government’s claims to have achieved parity of esteem for mental and physical health and the actual reality on the ground.

“This is £11 billion the NHS can ill-afford to waste. Labour has been arguing for years that we should treat the person as a whole, including their mental health, physical health and social care needs, rather than responding to one symptom at a time. That makes sense for the patient, and the success of their treatment. Today’s report highlights that it makes financial sense too.

“Tory ministers must stop hiding behind their rhetoric and act swiftly on these findings to give mental health the focus it demands.”