In response to a Royal College of Nursing survey showing just one in 10 nursing staff think governments have achieved equality between mental and physical health care, Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

"With 1.9 million people on lengthening waiting lists for mental health care, it's an urgent national problem.

"NHS trusts are extremely concerned that so many people, especially hundreds of thousands of children and young people, have long waits for the help they need.

"A capacity crunch where stretched mental health services with too few staff and resources strive to meet growing demand is heaping pressure upon trusts.

"It appears that achieving equity for mental health services is no longer a priority.

"Mental health care needs more long-term investment, including for staff, for capital to transform dated facilities and for early intervention and prevention, to give patients the high-quality, 21st century treatment they need."