AN Oldham GP has called for mental health to be put “on a par” with physical health, after latest data reveals hundreds of Oldham residents have been admitted to A&E with self-harm injuries.

Dr Anita Sharma, a GP at the South Chadderton Health Centre, made the call after Public Health England figures showed there were 445 admissions to hospital via A&E for self-harm injuries among Oldham residents in 2019-20.

It meant a rate of 214 admissions following self-harm per 100,000 women, and 159 per 100,000 men.

Dr Sharma, who is also a specialist in women’s health, said: “It is my experience that more women than men attend surgery with self-harm injuries. Allied to the usual causes of mental health illness such as body dysmorphia, debt and family issues; women's depression, anxiety, and loneliness have been exacerbated by Covid-19. But we must be careful about these figures.”

She added: “Perhaps women are more likely to report mental health issues, and I would question how we define self-harm. Alcohol or drug addiction, obesity and even making dangerous choices are all examples of self-harm and they are suffered by all genders. We must put mental health on a par with physical health, provide good services and be open and frank about our wellbeing.”

Across England 140 per 100,000 admissions to hospital via A&E for self-harm injuries were men in 2019-20 –meaning the number of men in Oldham being admitted (159 per 100,000) was higher than the national average.

Catherine Seymour, head of research at the Mental Health Foundation, highlighted that more men than women die by suicide, and said: "We need to consider all genders a priority for mental health support."

According to national statistics, 6,589 people took their own life in 2019, out of that number 5,189 were men.

A survey of 16,000 people carried out by the charity Mind meanwhile suggested the mental health of the nation had worsened since the start of the pandemic, with two-thirds of respondents reporting poorer mental health during the initial lockdown.

Nadine Dorries, minister for mental health, said: "Mental health services have remained open over the last year and we are constantly improving support and access to services – investing £57 million a year in suicide prevention as part of our commitment to invest £2.3 billion per year to mental health services by 2023-24.

“We have also launched a call for evidence for the first government-led Women’s Health Strategy, to address health inequalities across the whole health and care system.”