Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether additional funding will be provided to local Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services for ongoing support beyond initial assessment for young people who are currently on the waiting list for gender services.

NHS England has committed £17.1 million to the two new hubs for children and young people’s gender services in 2024/25. Additional funding will be made available for children and young people’s gender services as new providers are established, from 2024/25. NHS England is also making additional investment in front line mental health services in 2024/25, to support an assessment of need for all children and young people who are on the waiting list for gender services, or who have recently been transferred to one of the new providers of these services following the closure of the Tavistock Clinic gender service in March 2024.

Mental health is a key priority for the Government and NHS England. We are committed to continuing to increase access to mental health support for children and young people, supported by an additional £70 million of Service Development Funding for children and young people’s mental health services.