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NUPGE urges Health Ministers to act on mental health services

National Union urges Ministers of Health to take strong action to build and expand upon a national publicly funded and delivered mental health system.

Ottawa (14 Feb. 2012) - Just before the country's Ministers of Health and provincial-territorial health policy advisers meet in Winnipeg to discuss mental health services the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) wrote the chair of the meeting to urge them to take concerted action.

In a letter to Theresa Oswald, Manitoba's Minister of Health and meeting host, National President James Clancy said that it is "not an overstatement to say there is a growing crisis in this country as a consequence of the inaccessibility of publicly provided mental health services."

He goes onto explain that "one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime and approximately one million people in Canada live with a severe or persistent mental illness. The impact on our economy and our society is enormous."

"Some of these people will experience significant problems as a result of their illness. Some will be the homeless on our city streets. Others may end up incarcerated in our jails. Yet others will end up in our hospitals and nursing homes. This is a significant problem across the country."

The National Union feels that there can be no more delays in joint federal-territorial and provincial initiatives to implement a national mental health strategy and to publicly fund and deliver much needed services.

Clancy also encouraged provincial and territorial governments to call "on the federal government for support in creating nationally accessible and publicly funded and provided mental health services for all Canadians."

Copies of the National Union's report No Health Without Mental Health (download a copy here) was provided to the Minister for distribution to the participants.  

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE