Government launches major overhaul of mental health care with focus on early intervention

The government has launched a new cross-government Mental Health Strategy for England, promising a “fundamental shift” in services away from crisis intervention and towards prevention, earlier support and improved access to care.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the strategy, announced during Mental Health Awareness Week, would seek to transform support for both children and adults amid growing demand for services and rising concerns about long waits for treatment.

The government has opened an eight-week Call for Evidence inviting clinicians, frontline staff, service providers, researchers and people with lived experience to help shape what ministers have described as a “once-in-a-generation” strategy.

Baroness Merron, Minister for Mental Health (pictured), said: “This government believes that mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health, yet too many people across the country are struggling to get the support they need, when they need it.”

She added: “Alongside record investment in mental health services and more mental health workers than ever in the NHS, this strategy will give mental health the attention it deserves and set us on a new direction -one that focuses on earlier help, faster access and a whole-system approach.”

The strategy forms part of the government’s wider 10 Year Health Plan and comes as demand for mental health services continues to rise sharply, particularly among children and young people. Around one in five people are now estimated to be affected by a common mental health condition.

The Department of Health and Social Care said NHS mental health spending is forecast to reach £16.1 billion this year, representing a real-terms increase of around £140 million compared with last year. Ministers also highlighted investment of £473 million over the next four years for Mental Health Emergency Departments, community-based mental health centres and wider capital projects.

The government said the strategy would address concerns that the current system remains “reactive, fragmented and inconsistent”, with access to support varying significantly across different areas of the country.

Mental health organisations broadly welcomed the announcement while warning that meaningful reform would depend on implementation and sustained investment.

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness UK, said: “We welcome this announcement as a significant step forward, particularly for people severely affected by mental illness who too often face the greatest barriers to support. Long waits for treatment, unsafe inpatient care and fragmented services remain a daily reality for many, and a long-term strategy creates the opportunity to change that.”

He added: “What matters now is delivery. We need rapid improvements in access to timely, appropriate treatment, urgent action to ensure inpatient settings are safe and therapeutic, and support that is properly joined up across health, housing and community services.”

The strategy will also examine the role of schools, employers, voluntary organisations and local government in supporting mental health, with ministers emphasising a broader approach that considers the social and economic factors affecting wellbeing.

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “This is a big moment for England’s mental health. For many years, we’ve been calling for a radical shift towards a cross-government approach with a focus on prevention, and we look forward to contributing to the plan’s success.”

He added: “We will be advocating for the plan to be ambitious, evidence-led and with a real focus on those communities most at risk of poor mental health; and to address the social and economic factors that shape all our mental health.”

The new strategy will also respond to recommendations from the independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism being led by Professor Peter Fonagy, which is examining the causes of rising demand and how services can respond more effectively.

Ministers said the strategy would reflect the mental health needs of autistic people and people with ADHD, while a separate cross-government autism strategy is also due to be developed.

Campaign groups representing more than 20 mental health organisations said the announcement created an opportunity to place children and young people’s mental health at the centre of national policy.

Brian Dow, Chair, Head On, and Haroon Chowdry, Campaign Partner, Future Minds, said: “This is a hugely important moment. Mental ill health affects millions of people and families across the UK, with as many as one in five young people facing poor mental health. A 10-year, cross-government strategy signals a shift that the mental health sector has been calling for, and rightly recognises that prevention, early intervention and crisis care must be part of a coherent whole.”

They added: “75% of mental health problems are established by age 24. This strategy provides an opportunity to establish children and young people’s mental health as a national policy priority, reducing the treatment gap facing children and young people and ultimately bringing down mental health need by supporting children and young people earlier and better.”

James Harris, Director of Communications of Mental Health UK, said the success of the strategy would depend on coordination across multiple sectors.

“We strongly welcome the government’s commitment to a cross-government mental health strategy,” he said. “Mental health is shaped at home, in schools, in workplaces and our communities, and policy must reflect this if we are to see lasting improvement.”

He added: “The opportunity now is to ensure people have the tools, support and environments they need to maintain good mental health and get help early.”