Urgent steps needed to address child mental health

09 May 2018

The Health and Social Care Committee and the Education Committee have published their report on the government’s mental health green paper, titled The government's green paper on mental health: failing a generation.

The committees argue that the green paper which looks at children and young people's mental health provision lacks ambition and will provide no help to the majority of those children who desperately need it.

 

Responding to the report, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

“We welcome the select committees’ strongly worded critique.

“Their report highlights the scale and urgency of the challenges surrounding children’s mental health.

It is extremely worrying that MPs on these highly respected committees have found the government’s strategy on child mental health falls so far short of what is required.

“Trust leaders tell us demand for mental health care is growing rapidly, particularly for Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS).

“It is important to acknowledge that progress has been made in some important areas, notably in perinatal mental health.

“Trusts are doing all they can to provide the best possible care with the resources available.

“But it is extremely worrying that MPs on these highly respected committees have found the government’s strategy on child mental health falls so far short of what is required.”