The former Deputy Prime Minister has said that still more work needs to be done to improve the quality of the UK’s mental health services.

The Liberal Democrat MP welcomed the recent change in attitudes towards conditions such as bipolar and anxiety but argued there was still a long way to go to ensure that they received parity with physical health problems.

In an article for the Evening Standard newspaper, Mr Clegg called for better training for GPs and teachers, a new funding model and a nationwide awareness campaign.

“Eight years ago, when I became leader of the Liberal Democrats, I used one of my first opportunities at Prime Minister’s Questions to ask Gordon Brown about mental health services,” said Mr Clegg.

“The House of Commons chamber, usually a hostile wall of sound, became quiet. Afterwards, a number of MPs told me I was ‘brave’ to raise the issue.

“We have come a long way in the few short years since then. It is no longer considered ‘brave’ for a politician to talk about mental health. Indeed, there has been an unusual outbreak of consensus among the main parties that it should be treated as a priority.”

The politician believes that the intervention of such public figures as Stephen Fry and former Downing Street spin doctor Alistair Campbell has done much to remove the stigma attached to the conditions.

Charities such as Mind, Rethink and Place2Be have also worked hard to ensure that the issue remains on the national agenda.

But Mr Clegg has said that still more needs to be done.

“We’ve turned a page when it comes to talking about mental health. The stifling silence which used to surround the subject has been broken. The hopes raised must now be met with action not just words.”