A commitment to tackle Doncaster borough’s poor mental health

The organisation has committed to tackling poor mental health by signing up to the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health from Public Health England (PHE).

Working closely with PHE, the board is making significant steps towards promoting good mental health and preventing mental health problems.

One in six adults experiences at least one diagnosable mental health problem in their lifetime. This is influenced by the environment in which we are born, grow, live and work, meaning many of these problems can be prevented.

Having good mental health is important because it can help individuals to be more resilient, feel good and function well, have more positive relationships with those around them and deal with difficult times now and in the future. The concordat describes a shared commitment to preventing mental health problems and to promoting good mental health. Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council, Dr Rupert Suckling, said: “Mental health is vital and just as important as our physical health.”

Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Coun Rachael Blake, said that through the Board she intended to continue its joint approach to mental health service improvement: “We are committed to improving mental health in Doncaster and signing up to the concordat is just one of the steps we are taking locally.”