1. Fay Longley
INVESTIGATIVEJOURNALISM,STYLE OFVICE MAGAZINE,UNIT YEAR3
1
Davidisn’tjustfuckingwithdead pigs;he’sfucking withus all.
The words ‘mental health’ get thrownaround a lot these days withoutmuch context.
But what has happened to our mental health services since Cameron deceived us with
his so called pledges? Well it’s pretty clear: welfare cuts of 12 billion when ol’ David
clearly stated: ‘We will preserve disability living allowance and give patients with
chronic illnesses or a long term condition access to a single budget that combines their
health and social care funding.’
All well and good, until yourealise what a load of shit that statement really was. What it
means is: Saving money by forcingpeople to workwho can’t even get out of bed most
days, taking away their only source of support and telling them to put a bandage on
their wounds when they’re more than skin deep.
After all, it’s only about how good it looks on paper.
Matthew Feildhouse is 22 years old and works fora large insurance company in Leeds,
doing some graphic design on the side. He has seen at first hand the Tory Party destroy a
close relative’s life. He tells me of his niece whohas debilitating mental and physical
illnesses. He explains how she can'teat or walkwell on her ownand has seizures that
could be fatal; she communicates using sign language and can’t go on without help with
day-to-day living.
She used to be in receipt of a disability allowance before the Tories cut them.
“The Government used to provide her withenough in the Independent Living Fund
(ILF)” he says, “so that she could have a bed at her home withall the equipment she
needs for feeding, cleanliness, and to monitor and control her seizures.”
She even had her own nurse.
He stresses the importance of the services that the money went on and how crucial it is
for her to see the same faces regularly as her disability was from birth.
“(She) has relied on the help of people she has grown to be intimately familiar and
comfortablewith. Her friends and family and doctors and nurses that made up her
support system.”
Yet Feildhouse is scared what willhappen without this fundamental support in the long
run. “Withoutthe service,” he says, “there is serious concern for my niece. “Atthis point I
can see in his face the true concernhe feels forher welfare.
“She is dragged around the fucking country to different specialist hospitals that can treat
her, there's no stability, just ever changing faces of unfamiliar doctors and nurses and
long car journeys to receivetreatment.
I'm terrified that, because of the lack of readily available treatment in her ownhome,
one day one of her seizures willbe the last.”
Feildhouse tells me about his opinions of the Conservative power and it’s pretty clear
he’s not at all laughing anymore.

2. “It'sgot to the point that the UK has become the first country on earth that the UN is
investigating for abusing the human rights of the disabled,” he states, “and people
wonder why the Tories want to scrap the Human Rights Act.The Conservatives pledged
to ensure that there are therapists in every part of the country providing treatment for
those whoneed it during the last election. Not true in my niece’s case. David Cameron, a
millionaire, claimed ILF for his disabled son. Now he's taking it away from everyone
else.”
By now it’s clear where Fieldhouse’s loyalties lie, it’s certainly not on Cameron’s
bandwagon. Later on he tells me about what he thinks is really on their agenda forthe
future.
“The Tories see unemployment as a personal failing and I’m pretty sure they see mental
health in the same way.They want us to pay forour failings. You can’t put a price on
good health or mental health otherwise. We are the people who built the NHS and
funded it forgenerations. Now it’s been sold off bit by bit.”
It really does seem like every step Cameron takes is a step to privatisation. What has
happened to mental health since they have been in power?
Well, what this writer found is quite shocking.
To make up forthe lackof support, there are more and more charities popping up that
workso hard to keep the community in positive spirits; charities like
LovemeLovemymindbased in Epsom. I went along on one of their trips they organise on
most Mondays to see how crucial the group has become for many people.
Sue manages the group and has what I can only describe as a heart of pure gold.
Whatever she says seems to instantly reassure the group. There were 26 of us on this
particular day with degrees of mental health varyingfrom dementia to autism.
It seemed for many these group days were their only source of socialisation.
Before I got myself on the coach a man started starting talking to me about why he
comes to the sessions a lot of the time.
“I’velegally died three times,” he says, “The last time the police foundme in whatI
thought was a puddle – in factit was a river. I was fucked;no hope and I didn’t want the
help. I’vehad problems with drugs and drink foryears. But these group meetings on a
Monday really help me,” he says with an expression of deep gratitude, “it gives me
something to look forwardto. It gives me the of the hope I needed in my life a long time
ago.”
I then spoke to one of the members named Alex for an hour and he tells me about his
love of music and art.
“Music and art are something I enjoy.I have Asperger’s and it’s hard sometimes to
socialise in everyday life. I go to another church for my art classes on a Tuesday, I
consider myself better than a professional.” he says in a matter of factually.

3. Fay Longley
INVESTIGATIVEJOURNALISM,STYLE OFVICE MAGAZINE,UNIT YEAR3
3
“Iown between 800 – 1000 CDs all of whichI listen to religiously It helps me relax and
relate better to my emotions.”
It’s clear Alex has issues with communication normally but been surrounded by other
people withsimilar issues has created a great sense of security forhim.
Sue says to me “Thegroup has become such a family and wewelcome everyonewhether
they are 10 or 70. Itdoesn’t matter to us, what matters is diversity and understanding.
We will never turn away someone unless they are being discriminatory to our other
members.”
Indeed, the day was filled with laughter and happiness. Why is there such a crucialneed
for such a group in today’s society?
Since the Conservative government was elected to office,strain on the NHS has been
building. Mental health beds in hospitals have been reduced 8% since David Cameron
came to power and it’s a clear indication that nothing is going to change anytime soon.
Mark Winstanley, the chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness reminds us
that insufficient funding of mental health services for people in crisis will be “costing
lives” in the near future.
Here it is again, a stark reminder that people now have to travel miles for the right care
they need.
What’s even worse is what he says next.
“Thousands of people, including children, end up in police cells each year because they
can’t get the treatment they need,” he says.
To me, it’s always felt like it’s all empty promises from that party in question and they
only care about what the figures.
Yet it’s as if they haven’t seen what has happened to the youthof today and their mental
health fromwhen they began hacking at the systems in place.
The charity, Childline UK found out that their counselling services have increased
demand by 116% since 2010/11 and the number of young people who have had to go to
A&E with a psychiatric conditionhas more and doubled since 2009.
Not only that but the amount of young people ringing Childline for eating disorders has
gone up 110% since 2013 – is this not enough to know what you’vebeen doing forthe
past fiveyears hasn’t been working, huh Cameron?
It’s time we tooka stand against this lackof care forthe disabled and mentally ill.
The cuts will just deepen the already strenuous problem at hand and it’s already and
grave concern forthose whoneed it the most. Cameron wants to break the country into
them and us; we can’t let that happen withouta fight.
Don’t let them get away with this.