Servicemen and women in Colchester were today promised extra support for mental health service should the Liberal Democrats win the General Election on May 7.
The party’s General Election campaign chairman Paddy Ashdown visited the town to explain to troops how a £10m boost for mental health services will help ‘serve those who have served’.
He said: “I know how much pressure there can be for soldiers on the front line. That’s why we need more investment in mental health support for veterans. We also need to work closer with charities such as Time to Change and Veterans First to challenge stigma and ensure parity of esteem between mental and physical health.“
The measures outlined today include creating a veterans commissioner to champion the cause at the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and the MoD and ensure veterans get the help they need plus investment in services such as community based therapy, short stay hospital treatment, a telephone hotline and more targeted employment support.
For more on the General Election and to see a list of those standing in each constituency, visit our dedicated General Election page
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