Charity sets out manifesto ahead of 2026 Senedd election, warning Wales cannot treat its way out of the mental health crisis

THE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION has published its 2026 Senedd election manifesto, urging all political parties seeking to form the next Welsh Government to move beyond strategy documents and guarantee ring-fenced funding for mental health prevention.

The charity warns that Wales faces a deepening mental health crisis that cannot be solved by treatment and crisis response alone, arguing that sustained investment in prevention is essential if pressure on NHS services is to be reduced and longstanding inequalities addressed.

Strategy welcomed, but funding questioned

The Welsh Government published its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025–2035 earlier this year, setting out a ten-year vision for improving mental health outcomes and placing prevention and early intervention at the heart of future policy.

Launching the strategy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister Sarah Murphy MS said it marked a shift away from crisis-driven responses, with a stronger focus on tackling the wider causes of poor mental health and improving access to support before people reach breaking point.

However, the Mental Health Foundation says the strategy is not backed by a dedicated or transparent prevention budget, warning that without ring-fenced funding and clear accountability, commitments risk remaining aspirational rather than deliverable.

Mental health decline and rising pressures

Welsh Government wellbeing data shows that overall mental wellbeing has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, with particular concern around children and young people. Evidence also highlights persistent inequalities, with people living in more deprived communities experiencing significantly poorer mental health outcomes.

Public Health Wales has repeatedly raised concerns about rising levels of anxiety, distress and emotional difficulties among young people, alongside clear links to poverty, housing insecurity and wider social pressures.

The Mental Health Foundation argues that these trends underline the need for prevention-focused policies that address the root causes of poor mental health, rather than relying on overstretched clinical services to intervene once people reach crisis point.

‘Words alone won’t change lives’

Alexa Knight, Director of Policy and Influencing at the Mental Health Foundation, said Wales could not “treat its way out” of the crisis.

She said:
“Wales is gripped by a growing mental health crisis, and we cannot treat our way out of it. For too long, policy has focused on treatment and crisis response while neglecting prevention — the very thing that stops problems before they start.

“We welcome the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and its focus on prevention, but words alone won’t change lives. There is still no dedicated budget for prevention in Wales and no clear way to track spending or impact.

“The next Welsh Government must turn principle into practice with ring-fenced funding and clear accountability.”

Manifesto priorities

The Foundation’s Commitment to Prevention manifesto sets out five priorities for the next Welsh Government:

• prioritising prevention within overall mental health spending
• introducing a Welsh Child Payment to help tackle child poverty
• reaffirming Wales as a Nation of Sanctuary
• developing a dedicated approach to children and young people’s mental health
• addressing the wider social determinants of mental health, including housing, education and employment

The charity says these measures would not only improve wellbeing but reduce long-term costs by easing pressure on health and social care services and improving productivity.

A 2021 economic analysis estimated that poor mental health costs the Welsh economy more than £4.8 billion each year, through healthcare demand, lost productivity and wider social impacts.

Sector support for prevention focus

Health and third-sector organisations across Wales have broadly welcomed the Welsh Government’s emphasis on prevention, while cautioning that delivery will depend on long-term funding, workforce capacity and measurable outcomes.

Mental health charities and NHS bodies have consistently called for stronger coordination across housing, education, employment and community services, arguing that mental health outcomes cannot be improved through healthcare policy alone.

Election issue

With the 2026 Senedd election approaching, the Mental Health Foundation says mental health prevention must be a central political issue, backed by firm financial commitments rather than broad statements of intent.

Without decisive action, the charity warns, Wales risks continuing cycles of crisis care, rising waiting lists and widening inequality — outcomes it says are avoidable with early, sustained investment.

NURSES and doctors from Wales’s leading health unions have warned that treating patients in hospital corridors is becoming increasingly routine, as concerns grow over patient safety and overcrowding – including at hospitals serving Pembrokeshire.

Representatives from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the British Medical Association (BMA) gathered at the Senedd on last week (Dec 10) ahead of a debate on so-called ‘corridor care’, where patients are treated in hallways, waiting areas or other unsuitable spaces due to a lack of beds.

The debate was prompted by a joint petition from the two unions calling on the Welsh Government to formally measure the scale of corridor care across Wales and take action to prevent it, including greater investment in community and social care. The petition attracted more than 10,000 signatures from across the country.

In Pembrokeshire, healthcare services are provided by Hywel Dda University Health Board, which runs Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest alongside hospitals in Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. The health board has repeatedly acknowledged sustained pressure on emergency departments, particularly during winter months, when demand rises and patient flow slows due to difficulties discharging patients into community care.

Union representatives say corridor care is increasingly being reported by frontline staff across Wales, including west Wales, and warn that it poses serious risks to patients.

A recent report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated there were more than 900 excess deaths in Wales last year associated with long waits in A&E.

Dr Manish Adke, chair of the BMA’s Welsh Consultants Committee, said the practice was deeply distressing for staff.

“As health professionals it is extremely distressing to see patients in unsafe, inappropriate spaces whilst they are at their most vulnerable,” he said.

“What’s worse is that this practice is becoming systematically normalised and that is completely unacceptable. It is not what we trained for, it’s not the care we want to give, and it is putting patients at risk of serious harm.

“Without an allocated bed space we cannot properly stabilise patients with fluids, antibiotics or invasive lines. This leads to poorer outcomes and increases the risk of death.”

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said nurses were doing their best in what she described as “dangerous and undignified” conditions.

“Hard-working nurses and healthcare professionals are caring for seriously ill patients in unacceptable conditions, adding stress for staff and patients alike,” she said.

“We are calling on the Welsh Government to work with us and the BMA on solutions, including improved care pathways and greater investment in frontline community services such as district nursing.”

The Welsh Government has previously acknowledged the pressures facing hospitals, particularly in rural areas such as west Wales, where an ageing population and difficulties recruiting staff add to the challenge. Ministers have said delayed hospital discharges – often linked to shortages in social care and community provision – are a major factor in bed shortages.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has also stated in recent updates that it is working to reduce pressure on emergency departments by improving patient flow, expanding same-day emergency care, and working with local authorities to speed up safe discharges.

However, unions argue that without sustained investment outside hospitals, including in social care and community nursing, the problem will persist.

The Welsh Government says it has invested additional funding into health and social care this year and maintains that eliminating corridor care entirely will require system-wide change rather than short-term fixes.

The Senedd debate is expected to hear contributions from across the political spectrum, with patient safety, dignity and winter pressures all likely to feature prominently.

HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD’S Optometric Team has been honoured with the Health Board Support Award at the Optometry Wales Awards 2025.

The award – sponsored by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) – was presented by BBC Wales broadcaster Lucy Owen during a ceremony held in Cardiff on 29 November 2025.

Organised by Optometry Wales, the awards celebrate outstanding achievement across the eye-care sector in Wales. They recognise individuals and teams whose work goes above and beyond through clinical excellence, innovation, sustainability, mentoring, and service development.

Recognising leadership and support during major reform

Hywel Dda’s Optometric Team received the award for its significant support to practices across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire during the rollout of the new national Optometry contract.

Their nomination highlighted the team’s strong leadership through the transition period and their commitment to ensuring practices were fully equipped to deliver high-quality eye health services under the new contract.

A key part of this work was developing new clinical pathways to ensure more patients could be safely managed in primary care. These pathways have improved access to timely local care and reduced the need for hospital appointments, ensuring people receive the right care in the right place.

Over 13,300 community appointments delivered

Since January 2024, more than 13,300 appointments have taken place in community settings using these enhanced pathways. Previously, many of these cases would have required referral to the hospital eye service. Now, an average of only 13.9% of patients require hospital referral — a significant shift demonstrating the positive impact of strengthened community-based care.

The team has also played a central role in developing Optometry Collaboratives, bringing together local practices to share ideas, improve services, and meet the needs of the local population.

“A fantastic achievement”

Rachel Absalom, Head of Optometric Services at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award. It reflects the dedication of our committed team and the strong relationships we have built with practices across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
“The new pathways have made a real difference for patients, enabling more care to take place closer to home, and we are grateful to our colleagues in primary care who have worked with us to make this possible.”

Professor Philip Kloer, Chief Executive, added: “This is a fantastic achievement and recognises the vital work of our Optometric Team in supporting the rollout of the new national contract. Their leadership has strengthened local services and helped patients receive care closer to home.
“I’m also delighted to see several independent practices from our region recognised on the night, which demonstrates the exceptionally high standards of care delivered across Hywel Dda.”

Six regional wins on the night

A total of six awards were won across the Hywel Dda region. They included:

• Optometrist of the Year: Andy Britton (Specsavers Haverfordwest)
• Independent Practice of the Year: MN Charlton (Concept Eye Clinic, Fishguard)
• Dispensing / Contact Lens Optician of the Year: Samantha Houghton (Specsavers Haverfordwest)
• Sustainability Practice of the Year: Specsavers Haverfordwest
• Technology Practice of the Year: Specsavers Haverfordwest

Photo (left to right)

Lucy Owen (Presenter)
Sally Hodson (Optometric Advisor, HDUHB)
Rachel Absalom (Head of Optometric Services, HDUHB)
Hannah Rowlatt (External Engagement Officer, RNIB)
John Dixon (NHS Wales Engagement Manager, RNIB)
Jaynie Scourfield (Quality Assurance Manager – Primary Care, HDUHB)
Mary Owens (Head of Dental and Optometry, HDUHB)