Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the implementing the the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision green paper published in July 2018.

We have made good progress on, and remain committed to, carrying out the Green Paper’s core proposals.

In 2018 we announced the first 25 trailblazer sites delivering 59 mental health support teams (MHSTs). Rotherham is one of the first 25 trailblazer sites. The first MHSTs started to become operational in early 2020.

In July 2019, NHS England confirmed a further 57 areas, developing 123 new MHSTs; a further 104 teams have been commissioned and will begin training in 2020/21.

Twelve of the first 25 trailblazer sites, including Rotherham, are also testing four-week waiting times. They remain on track to deliver a recommendation in 2021/22 for the phased introduction of an access and waiting time standard for children and young people’s mental health.