PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Mental Health Services: Children and Young People (24 November 2021)

Question Asked

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (a) what steps he is taking to improve the availability of children's mental health services and (b) whether he plans to increase funding to (i) North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group, (ii) Enfield Council, and (iii) grassroots community organisations in Enfield North constituency to help improve children and young people’s access to mental health support.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

Answer

The Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, supported by an additional £500 million, includes a further £79 million to expand capacity in children’s mental health services. NHS England and NHS Improvement have announced a further £40 million in 2021/22 to address the impact of the pandemic on children and young people’s mental health. We are also investing an extra £2.3 billion a year in mental health services by 2023/24 to allow 345,000 more children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old to access National Health Service-funded mental health support. NHS England and NHS Improvement have consulted on a potential new waiting time standard for children and young people presenting to community-based mental health services to receive care within four weeks from referral.

In 2021/22, the North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has invested an additional nearly £6 million in mental health provision for 0 to 25 year olds. The CCG is undertaking a review of adult and children and young people’s mental health support to ensure that provision is equitable across its boroughs. The Prevention and Promotion Fund for Better Mental Health is benefitting 40 local areas across England. The learning from the Fund will inform funding plans for children’s and young people’s mental health services in Enfield and other areas.

The NHS operational planning and contracting round at the beginning of each financial year sets out priorities and how funding will be used. Systems are expected to work with partner organisations, including voluntary, community and social enterprise grass roots organisations, to produce plans for how they will deliver services.


Answered by:
Gillian Keegan (Conservative)
15 December 2021

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