Government announces greater focus on mental health services for children and young

Response - 9 January 2017

Today the Prime Minister announced an overhaul on mental health services for young people. Read our response to the news.

Today the Prime Minister announced an overhaul on mental health services for young people including extra training for teachers, more online self-checking for those with concerns and a review of services for children and teenagers.

Responding to Theresa May's announcement on mental health, Jane Mordue, Chair of Healthwatch England said:

"Attitudes to mental health in this country are changing for the better, with people talking more openly about their experiences than ever before. At the same time, local Healthwatch across England are hearing that mental health is the public’s number one health concern for the second year running.

“Our conversations with people found that they have great ideas about how services can be improved in ways that make resources go further, such as providing more flexible access to talking therapies, better support from employers and greater use of peer support networks. It’s therefore great to see the Prime Minister’s words reflecting this.

“Increasing awareness and understanding through low-level support in schools and in communities will help to take some of the pressure off of hard-pressed GPs and A&Es, and help ensure that people get the treatment they need, when they need it.

“The Prime Minister’s focus on the mental wellbeing of children and young people is especially welcome, as young people told us about long waits to access services, people having to be in crisis in order to get a referral and a lack of support when transferring to adult psychiatric services.

“In order to improve this we want to see professionals engaging with children, young people, parents and carers to ensure services are designed with and around the needs of the people who use them. The Care Quality Commission’s review is an important step in tackling some of these issues and the Healthwatch network stands ready to help.”

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