BACP has signed an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for “ambitious and bold” funding of NHS mental health services.

It comes as new research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank found that spending by the NHS on mental health needs to double by the end of the next decade to deliver genuine “parity of esteem”.

The report, published today, concludes that such spending needs to rise to £23.9 billion a year by 2030 from its current level of £12 billion.

The open letter has been signed by the chief executives, chairs and presidents of 15 leading organisations, including BACP Chair Dr Andrew Reeves.

It calls on Theresa May to act on what she has described as the “burning injustice of mental illness” and deliver on the promise of true parity of esteem.

It states: “Only with this investment will people living with mental health conditions truly receive the care and support they need to have an equal chance of a long and fulfilling life as those with a physical health condition.”