Mental Health Treatment: Waiting Times

Baroness Merron Excerpts

Monday 3rd February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to reduce the waiting time for access to mental health treatment.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, I am pleased to be answering this Question during Children’s Mental Health Week. To ensure that high-quality support can be accessed in a timely manner, among other actions we are committed to recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers to cut waiting times, introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school and rolling out young futures hubs in every community.

[Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful reply. There has been a 33% rise in mental health referrals since 2019 and it is particularly severe for children and young people, with an increase from 12% to 20% for those experiencing mental health conditions. This has not been matched by an increase in investment in services or additional staff to enable early intervention and speedy help. Many children have been forced to wait till their conditions escalate, putting a lot more pressure and exceptional demand on school counsellors and on community care. Can the Minister say exactly what the Government are doing to address these pressures, particularly on young people? How will she ensure that funding at local level will focus on their needs?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree with my noble friend’s assessment of the impact of what is a totally unacceptable situation, particularly for children and young people. On the point about ensuring delivery locally, I refer your Lordships’ House to the NHS planning guidance, published last week, which not only confirms our commitment to the mental health investment standard but sets out an objective to increase the numbers of children and young people under 25 accessing services in the forthcoming year compared to 2019.

[Lord Carlile of Berriew (CB)]

Does the Minister agree that the long delays experienced by released prisoners in accessing necessary mental health care simply oil the revolving door of their return to prison? Will the Government give high priority to dealing with that problem?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We are extremely aware of the point the noble Lord helpfully makes. The matter of severe mental illness in prisoners has come up repeatedly in Committee on the Mental Health Bill, and we will continue to work to address the points he raised.

[Baroness Tyler of Enfield (LD)]

My Lords, I welcome the fact that the new NHS operational planning guidance, which the Minister just referred to, includes targets for improving mental health care, learning disabilities and autism. What assurances can the Minister give that these targets will be properly reflected in the forthcoming spending review, the NHS 10-year plan and the updated NHS workforce plan to ensure we really do see parity of esteem between physical and mental health?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I can confirm the commitment of the Government to parity of esteem between mental and physical health services, as was outlined in our first programme of legislation confirmed in the King’s Speech. It will have absolute regard in all the areas the noble Baroness refers to. I know she is aware that I cannot comment specifically on spending reviews, but all that will be announced publicly in due course.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, ADHD affects lots of children and, though treatable, it is often not treated. Can the Minister assure the House that treatment for ADHD will increase substantially to ensure children can get back to school and get on with their studies?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

It is important that children with ADHD receive the right education and the right support. We are working with the Department for Education to make sure that happens.

[Lord Davies of Brixton (Lab)]

I welcome my noble friend the Minister’s replies to the questions asked. I know she is personally committed to improving the services provided to people suffering from problems with their mental health. However, is she aware of the concern that has been expressed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists that the increased autonomy allowed to local health authorities will, without clear guidance, lead to inadequate investment in mental health services? Can she provide some reassurance for the royal college?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for raising this. There are whole areas in which we are seeking to turn this round, and I know my noble friend is aware of the challenges we face. To highlight just one, I refer him to the fact that the Government have chosen to prioritise funding for talking therapies and to deliver that expansion. That is really important because, in all of this, we have to make the move from dealing with sickness to prevention, and I believe this is a very strong example of how we can do that.

[Lord Laming (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that, in mental health services, the gap between referral and treatment is getting longer and longer, and that delay is leading to a marked deterioration in the patient’s experience? So far as young people are concerned, the delay has become incredibly long. Can the Minister assure the House that thought is being given to reducing the gap between referral and treatment?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes a very important point. This is one of the many areas where long waiting lists and delays in people receiving the necessary service are creating additional pressures on the individual, communities and the NHS. We are doing work in a number of areas, such as ensuring that NHS 111 can provide for those in crisis, or those concerned about a family member or loved one, so they can speak to a trained mental health professional. We are constantly looking at and providing new ways for people to get more instant access.

[Earl Howe (Con)]

My Lords, do the Government see a role for employers in promoting the mental health of their respective workforces?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I certainly do, and with the NHS being such a large employer, that is one of the areas that we will be attending to. The long-term workforce plan will provide its report around the summer of this year and there will be much detail on how the workforce will be but also on the ways that we can improve its health and retention as well as recruitment.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

My Lords, my noble friend Lady Warwick spoke particularly about young people and provision in schools. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that there is a key role for educational psychologists and school nurses in ensuring that diagnosis can take place early? Does she believe there could be a greater role for academies and schools working together at local level to provide that type of provision?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree with my noble friend’s suggestions. Of course it is a team that provides the mental health support that is necessary, but I am particularly pleased that we are working to deliver a mental health professional in every school. That is a starting point, not necessarily the end point, so my noble friend makes some very helpful suggestions.

[Lord Markham (Con)]

I appreciate from my own time as Health Minister how difficult it is to meet the expanding demand, so I wonder if we are still looking at other methods to expand capacity, particularly digitally, both in terms of early diagnosis but also some of the digital mental health treatments which are quite impressive?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am glad for the understanding of the noble Lord. NHS England is encouraging the local use of digital tools, for example digitally enabled therapies, and it is an extremely helpful way also of managing waiting lists so people are not just left waiting but they are held and supported, often through digital means.

[Lord Paddick (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as set out in the register. A policy of the police not attending mental health incidents, called “right care, right person”, was developed by Humberside Police and adopted by the Metropolitan Police. What assessment has been made of the impact of this policy on those suffering from mental health issues?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord. Again, this is an area which has been explored in Committee on the Mental Health Bill and we are looking at the results of how that is working out, because we have to get the balance right between supporting people in crisis and also ensuring that the right professionals are in place.