'The Conservatives cannot ignore the crisis they have created in our NHS - basic services are suffering'

Shadow Mental Health Minister Rosena Allin-Khan says we need a growing economy to pay for health care - but to grow the economy, we need to start getting our public services back on track

Basic NHS services are suffering because of the Conservative government's failures (

Image: PA)

Parents arriving at A&E with ashen faces, holding their children whose bodies are skeletal and covered in cuts. Families under suicide watch. Frontline NHS workers at breaking point.

This is the reality facing too many people in the wake of the failures of the Conservative government. Hospitals are setting up their own food banks that staff, including nurses, can use. This is Conservative Britain in 2022.

Is it any surprise that more NHS workers are suffering from mental health issues? Our nurses, medical visitors and support staff take millions of sick days because of it every year. Mental illness costs us £117billion a year. It makes no sense for ministers to continue to ignore it.

All too often, help depends on your zip code, not your needs. This is a direct result of the Conservatives' failure to properly staff mental health services.

Liz Truss at the Conservative Party Conference (

Picture:

Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

After 12 years of conservative mismanagement, our public services and economy are on the brink, with growth on the ground and basic services suffering.

We need a growing economy to pay for modern, preventative and sustainable health care, but to grow the economy we need to start getting our public services back on track.

The next Labor government will transform our mental health services: new staff, new services, faster treatment, prevention as the watchword. Better mental health for all.