Letter: The Northern Ireland Executive should fully fund the mental health strategy and deliver the services that people have repeatedly been promised

England's announcement of £343 million investment to establish nearly 200 new community mental health crisis services shows what can be achieved when governments invest in mental health services and make crisis care a priority.

People here deserve the same commitment.

We have a mental health strategy that sets out the right vision, but without sustained investment it cannot deliver the services people desperately need.

Every day, we see individuals and families struggling to access timely support, often only receiving help when they have reached crisis point.

Through our Too Many Lives Lost campaign, we are calling for urgent action to address the gaps in mental health provision in NI.

We are urging the NI Executive to fully fund the mental health strategy and deliver the services that people have repeatedly been promised, but not delivered.

Northern Ireland's mental health needs are unique. Decades of conflict have left a legacy of trauma that continues to affect individuals, families, and communities today.

Despite this, we continue to receive the lowest level of mental health funding per head of population in the UK while experiencing one of the highest suicide rates.

PIPS Charity along with its partners are calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to match the ambition shown elsewhere by investing in the mental health workforce and expanding community-based services that provide timely support before problems escalate.

Renée Quinn, chief executive officer of PIPS Suicide Prevention Charity