Together Gibraltar Support GSD Call For Mental Health Select Committee

Together Gibraltar says it supports the Motion filed by the GSD in Parliament calling for the establishment of a Select Committee on Mental Health.
A statement from Together Gibraltar follows below:
Together Gibraltar supports the Motion filed by the GSD in Parliament calling for the
establishment of a Select Committee on Mental Health. This committee will be tasked with improving the provision of mental health services in the community, and to oversee the implementation of recommendations in the recently published Mental Health Report carried out by Public Health England. It will also work in consultation with experts, GHA personnel, practitioners and users of mental health services. This cross-party initiative was initiated by GSD leader Keith Azopardi, and met with great enthusiasm by TG leader Marlene Hassan Nahon.
This is not the first time Together Gibraltar reaches across the house to act on this issue. In 2016, TG leader Marlene Hassan Nahon worked jointly with Government to put forward a composite motion on mental health, which was then passed by the House. The motion delivered some results while not addressing the entirety of the issues raised, ultimately failing to bring this long-neglected service up to acceptable standards. There is still much work to do on the mental health front, particularly in light of the crisis caused by the ongoing pandemic, and it is high time all parties worked together with urgency and determination.
A draft version of the GSD motion was presented to Government close to a year ago, but both opposition parties are yet to receive a response on the matter. However, we hope to enjoy the GSLP’s support when the Motion is considered in Parliament.
The motion reads:
THIS HOUSE:
- BELIEVES that there should be a cross-party approach to the issue of mental
health;
- ESTABLISHES a Select Committee on Mental Health to report to Parliament
on such further improvements to mental health service provision in Gibraltar
which it considers should be made generally and having regard to the
recommendations set out in the Public Health England “Mental Health
Situational Analysis Report” of April 2019;
- RESOLVES that the Select Committee on Mental Health be composed of five
members, three of whom shall be drawn from the Government benches and
two from the Opposition benches, one from each of the parties with
representation.
Marlene Hassan Nahon said: “The Covid crisis is much more than just the impacts of the virus. It is a multifaceted crisis, affecting several aspects of our healthcare provision, our education system, the economy and our social fabric. It has highlighted many inequalities, making life particularly difficult for those with lower incomes, pre-existing healthcare issues and less supportive social networks. Mental health is one of these aspects, and one that already carried the problems created by decades of neglect. I believe this is issue is non-partisan, and am happy to work with my opposition colleagues to achieve this committee, which will benefit of the entire community, regardless of their political affiliations. I hope the Government hear our call and respond to these pressing needs as a matter of urgency.”
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