Timely access to mental health care is not just a matter of convenience— it is a matter of safety, dignity, and equity. Delays in care can lead to preventable crises, greater distress, poorer outcomes, and higher costs to the system. The severity gap, where people fall between high and low intensity services, reflects an unacceptable failing of the system to support people with SMI. High-quality care must be available when it is needed, not only when a person reaches crisis point. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)