Mental Health First Aid training recommended by Mayor of London



The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a Draft Health Inequalities strategy as part of his campaign to create a healthier London and made a clear recommendation for Mental Health First Aid training to be adopted across the capital. The report considers strategies for responding to five major goals, including:

  1. Every London child to have the bet possible start in life
  2. All Londoners share in a city with the best mental health in the world
  3. A society, environment and economy that promotes good mental and physical health
  4. London’s diverse communities to be healthy and thriving
  5. To make the “healthy choice” the easy choice for all Londoners

The strategy recognises that while the health of Londoners has improved over the years, inconsistencies remain in the health of Londoners. Health can be impacted by location, job opportunities, income and childhood background, leading to stark health differences across the capital. For example, the report draws attention to the startling differences in healthy life expectancy - women in Tower Hamlets can expect to live for 30 years in poor health, compared to less than 12 years for men in Enfield – an alarming discrepancy.

Speaking in the foreword to the strategy report, the Mayor said: “The reality is that when it comes to health and wellbeing, our city is still deeply divided. Too many Londoners are still suffering ill health because of social and economic exclusion. (…) My vision is for a healthier, fairer city, where nobody’s health suffers simply because of who they are or where they live.”

Within the “Healthy Minds” section of the strategy, the Mayor advocates for greater workplace training in managing mental health, including mental health first aid training. The strategy states: “The Mayor’s key ambition is to inspire more Londoners to have mental health first aid training, and more London employers to support it.” The Mayor recently completed Mental Health First Aid training along with his team of deputies in a special delivery at City Hall