Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current waiting time from assessment to receiving therapy is for mental health services in (a) England and (b) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency.

The data is not held in the format requested as a national access and waiting times standard for National Health Service mental health services has not yet been defined.

On 22 July, NHS England and NHS Improvement announced consultation on the potential to introduce five new waiting time standards, which have been piloted by mental health providers in collaboration with acute NHS trusts, and are backed by clinical and patient representatives. The consultation closed on 1 September. The responses will now be analysed, and a recommendation made to Government in due course.