The burden of mental illness poses a huge threat to complete health and wellbeing.

Stigma and
discrimination amplify these effects (Cummings, 2018). Several studies have revealed that
people with mental health disorders are viewed negatively and have not been adequately catered
for by the government when compared to physical health and wellbeing (Bryan et al., 2020;
Maulik et al., 2020; Reynolds et al., 2022). Owing to this, a number of policies have been
developed and implemented to strike this balance towards achieving health and wellbeing for all.

It is in response to this that the government of England over the past few years through the
National Health Service (NHS) have worked towards striking a balance between mental and
physical health (Hussain et al., 2022). An evident change is through improving Access to
Psychological Services program, in which the number of individuals who participated in the
Therapies Programme increased by one hundred and twenty percent in comparison to that of just
four years prior (Ride et al., 2020). Along with an increase in funding for improved case
management and early intervention, investments are already being made in new beds for young
people who have the most intensive needs (Lalani et al., 2022).

In spite of this progress made, factors such as the epidemiological prognosis of mental illness,
long wait time to access mental health services, lack of statistics regarding the demand of mental
health services, existent legal framework for the rights of mental patients that favours use of
force in mental health settings, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental
health, and existing funds allocated to mental health expenditure in England have inhibited the
sustainable development of mental health services in England. This resultant effect is evident in
the unequal relegation of certain communities, such as those who are considered to be of BAME
(black, Asian, and minority ethnic) origin, are being hit particularly hard by the virus as well as
its social and economic effects (Naser et al., 2022).

In addition, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought the issue of racial inequality to the
forefront of everyone's minds across the globe, and the momentum it has generated provides us
with the opportunity to challenge injustices that have occurred in the past and continue to occur
today, as well as to move forward with a greater sense of urgency and conviction (Reynolds et
al., 2022). It is imperative that everything should be done to ensure that to improve equalities
within the delivery of mental health services.
Given this backdrop, this essay intends to critically evaluate the existing mental health policy of
England by assessing how the NHS England and NHS Improvement are committed to enabling
local health systems to better address inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes of mental
healthcare (Ohri et al., 2022). Furthermore, this essay explores the mental health policy
development and strategies adopted for implementation. Also, the essay identifies existing
factors that may hinder policy implementation and propose methodologies and models that will
improve health for all.