Petition · past parliament · Department of Health and Social Care
Increase funding for crisis and acute mental health services
Closed
6,419 signatures
What the petition asks
Crisis and acute mental health services need funding for thousands more psychiatric beds, recruitment and training of staff. The Government should increase funding for crisis and acute mental health services so that mental health patients can access the support they need.
Lack of funding means wards can be understaffed, over capacity and do not provide the service patients need.
The number of NHS mental health beds has fallen by 73% from 67,100 in 1987-88 to just 18,400, and many patients have an unacceptable wait for urgent mental health care and can end up having to sleep on sofas while they wait for care and a bed.
When patients do get a bed it can be far from home. Not only is this expensive, it can increase distress, separate families and set back recovery.
The number of NHS mental health beds has fallen by 73% from 67,100 in 1987-88 to just 18,400, and many patients have an unacceptable wait for urgent mental health care and can end up having to sleep on sofas while they wait for care and a bed.
When patients do get a bed it can be far from home. Not only is this expensive, it can increase distress, separate families and set back recovery.
Timeline
| 17 Nov 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 17 May 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
6,419
Status
Closed
Department
Department of Health and Social Care
Opened
17 Nov 2020
Closed
17 May 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.