MEASURES to transform the way mental health is approached in South Gloucestershire has been welcomed by Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall.

The new initiative, which was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May, will see every secondary school in the county being offered mental health first aid training to increase awareness and help tackle the unacceptable stigma around the issue.

New proposals will also outline how mental services for school, universities and families can be improved so that each member of the community will be supported at every stage of life.

“For too long there hasn’t been enough focus on mental healthcare in this country, and many people have been left to suffer in silence,” said Mr Hall.

“It is important that this is changed, to ensure that we live in a country where everyone is supported.

“These new proposals will ensure children and young people in South Gloucestershire receive the compassion, care and the treatment they deserve.

“Mental healthcare will be improved in schools, workplaces and universities and those suffering from mental illness will be able to access the right care for their needs.

“This is a great opportunity to improve mental wellbeing and ensure that everyone is supported.”

Reviews into child and adolescent mental health services and mental wellbeing in the workplace are also set to be carried out in the county, which officials say will help to identify what is already working and what can be improved.

Cllr Matthew Riddle, leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “As a local authority, we welcome the proposals to improve mental health care in South Gloucestershire.

“We feel that it is absolutely vital that everyone is able to receive the compassion, care and treatment that they deserve.”

But while the reforms are being welcomed by some, Cllr Claire Young, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate from the Thornbury and Yate seat said that the PM’s words “can’t hide her Government’s failure to deliver on previous promises.”

She said “Sadly much of the additional £1.4 billion secured for child mental health care when Lib Dem Norman Lamb was Health Minister is being diverted to other services as the NHS stumbles from crisis to crisis.

“It’s time we had a mature discussion about how much we are prepared to pay to make sure our loved ones get the care they need, whether they are facing physical or mental health problems,” adding that her party were calling for a cross-party agreement to secure long-term funding for the NHS.