Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) children and (b) adults who are accessing mental health support through artificial intelligence platforms after being unable to access statutory mental health services.

No such assessment has been made. We recognise that people are facing unacceptably long waiting times to access mental health support. This is why we are transforming the current mental health system so that people can access the right support at the right time in the right place.

Building on the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, sets targets for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to improve the quality of and access to mental health services. This includes expanding NHS Talking Therapies and expanding the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

This builds on the significant progress we’ve made since July 2024 to hire almost 7,000 extra mental health workers. And by spring next year, over 900,000 children and young people will have access to a Mental Health Support team in schools and colleagues.