Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to (a) identify young people most at risk of poor health in later life and (b) mitigate that risk.

The Government recognises the significant impact that youth health can have across a person’s life course, and is committed to keeping young people healthy, preventing ill-health, and providing treatment and support where needed. The Department leads a range of universal public health interventions and guidance for those aged between zero and 19 years old, that provide universal support, and help identify further needs and safeguarding concerns for children and young people most at-risk.

People with both physical and mental health conditions face poorer clinical outcomes, and a significantly lower quality of life, than people with a physical health condition alone. This is why the Government is rolling out mental health support teams to schools and colleges in England, to detect and offer evidence-based interventions to young people experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health issues. These currently cover 3.4 million children, or approximately 35% of pupils, which will increase to 50% by 2025. When deciding where to introduce mental health support teams, integrated care boards consider how teams will reach young people most at risk of poor outcomes. In addition, on 27 February 2024 we announced extra funding for 24 early support hubs for young people across England, so that thousands of children and young people will receive earlier, open-access mental health interventions in local communities.