Cardiff and Vale Health Board’s decision to pull funding from CAVAMH raises urgent concerns over mental health support, national wellbeing, and the consequences of ongoing government cuts.
The decision by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) to cease funding Cardiff and Vale Action for Mental Health (CAVAMH) as of April 1, 2025, has sent shockwaves through Wales’ voluntary sector and among service users. Described as an “absolute shocker” by the head of a leading voluntary organization, the move will result in the closure of a service that has, for years, provided vital support, advocacy, and community engagement for individuals struggling with mental health conditions.
CAVAMH has long been a lifeline for countless individuals in the region, particularly those navigating the often complex and fragmented mental health system. The organization not only offers direct assistance and signposting but also plays a pivotal role in giving service users a voice, advocating for systemic change, and coordinating with other community support services.
What Happens Next for Those in Need?
The consequences of this decision are deeply troubling. With rising demand for mental health services across the country, the removal of CAVAMH will leave a vacuum in support provision. Vulnerable people, already battling isolation, trauma, and mental illness, will now face even more barriers to recovery. Waiting times for NHS mental health services are already long, and community-based services like CAVAMH help alleviate that pressure. Its closure could lead to more individuals falling through the cracks, resulting in increased emergency interventions, hospital admissions, or worse—avoidable crises and suicides.
Families and carers who relied on the support and guidance of CAVAMH are left with nowhere to turn. The ripple effects will be felt not only by service users but also by overburdened NHS staff, third-sector organizations already operating at capacity, and the justice and housing systems.
Implications for the Nation
This decision reflects a worrying trend of disinvestment in mental health care, especially in preventative and community services. While politicians continue to publicly pledge support for mental health awareness, their actions behind closed doors reveal a stark contradiction. The dismantling of essential services undermines any progress made toward destigmatizing mental health issues and building a compassionate, inclusive society.
Mental health is not a luxury—it is a fundamental human right. Cutting funding for services like CAVAMH in the middle of a national mental health crisis is both short-sighted and dangerous. It sends a chilling message: that the most vulnerable are expendable in the eyes of the state.
What Is the Government’s Agenda?
People across Wales—and indeed the UK—are asking: how are those struggling with mental health conditions expected to recover when help is being systematically dismantled? These cuts come at a time when cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity, and job instability are already fueling a mental health epidemic. Instead of investing in recovery and resilience, the government appears to be forcing people into deeper distress with every new round of budget cuts.
Critics argue that this reflects an agenda driven more by austerity economics than by public health or social wellbeing. It’s a policy of penny-wise, pound-foolish—cutting preventative services only to face the greater financial and human costs later in the form of hospitalizations, homelessness, and long-term unemployment.
A Call to Action
This is a national wake-up call. It is not just about one health board’s funding decision—it is about the future of mental health care in Wales and the UK. Citizens, campaigners, mental health advocates, and organizations must rally to demand accountability and reinstatement of critical services. Mental health cannot be treated as an afterthought. The closure of CAVAMH is more than just a funding issue—it’s a human rights crisis in the making.
Resources:
- ‘Shock and disappointment’ as Welsh health board pulls funding from mental health service
- https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/Documents/Committee-20-Reports/Voluntary-Sector-Joint-Liaison/2025/25-04-29/25-04-29-CAVAMHS-Closure.pdf-from-Cardiff-University-CAVAMH-will-close-20-September-2025.
- Important Notice cavamh
- Mental health: Cutting the service is a ‘huge risk’ – charity – BBC News
- Mental health service to close as funding pulled – Bro Radio
- NHS Wales: Health boards must find £65m extra savings – BBC News
- Strategic Programme for Mental Health – Stakeholder update – NHS Wales Executive
- Wales Mental Health Leadership Exchange – NHS Wales Executive
#STANDUP4HUMANRIGHTS
Andrew Jones is a seasoned journalist renowned for his expertise in current affairs, politics, economics and health reporting. With a career spanning over two decades, he has established himself as a trusted voice in the field, providing insightful analysis and thought-provoking commentary on some of the most pressing issues of our time.
