Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (a) what progress her Department has made in improving access to mental health support for children and young people; and (b) what steps are being taken to reduce waiting times for specialist children and adolescent mental health services.

We know that for children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties, timely access to high-quality support is essential.

Nearly six million children and young people now have access to Mental Health Support Teams in their own schools and colleges, and we aim to achieve full national coverage by the end of 2029. We have also provided more than £20 million in top-up funding to Early Support Hubs in 24 locations since 2024, including £7 million in 2026/27, to support at least 30,000 additional interventions by April 2027.

Reducing the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services is also a priority in our Medium Term Planning Framework. We are asking integrated care boards to take action on these waits, and progress is already being made, with a 14% decrease in the longest waits since April 2026.

The Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, published on 9 October, provides analysis and recommendations on a wide range of issues concerning current services, including mental health support for children and young people. We will respond fully to the review through our new cross-Government Mental Health Strategy, to be published later this year. The strategy will aim to transform mental health care so that the system responds earlier, reduces waiting times, and provides timely, practical support tailored to people’s needs and circumstances.