This is Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual event which has my full support because it highlights an area of health which I believe fails to receive the funding and publicity it deserves.
It is basically the Cinderella of the NHS because mental health issues may not as obvious as physical ailments, but the reality is they are just as important and debilitating.
They cause anguish for the sufferer and their families who deserve all the help they need from health professionals but funding shortages mean they face long waiting lists.
This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue, we have all read of those who have taken their own lives while waiting for help. Mental health services must be properly funded for the sake of those afflicted as well as society generally.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan Arnott MEP. Hartlepool Mail.