GPs and Tower Hamlets council sign pledge to end stigma of mental health

GPs and health authorities in London’s East End are signing a pledge to wipe out the stigma and discrimination over mental illness.

Members of the new Tower Hamlets Health & Wellbeing Board sign the agreement with the GPs’ local Commissioning Board and other organisations on Thursday.

The signing marks World Mental Health Day when Tower Hamlets council, the Commissioning Board, East London Foundation Trust and Barts Health NHS Trust put their names to a public pledge. Other organisations signing the pledge include Tower Hamlets Homes and the mental health charity Mind.

The council’s cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, Abdul Asad, said: “People suffering mental illness should be able to get the support and services they need without fear of judgment.”

The anti-stigma campaign was launched by Mind and the Rethink Mental Illness charity to end the discrimination that surrounds mental health.

Consultations on the strategy being adopted run until Friday with an online survey is at www.towerhamletsccg.nhs.uk/Get_Involved or emails to mentalhealth@towerhamletsccg.nhs.uk