A crucial commitment to expand access to mental health services for young individuals in the UK is at risk of missing its target, with the NHS’s 2019 long-term plan showing a significant shortfall. The plan, aiming to provide mental health support to at least an additional 345,000 children and young people by March 2024, currently falls short by approximately 111,000, according to a presentation by NHS officials.
The presentation, shared with the Local Government Association’s children’s and young people’s board, revealed that as of October, only around 234,000 additional children were receiving support. This gap of around one-third below the target is raising concerns, particularly with just five months remaining until the initial deadline.
The NHS presentation acknowledged the challenges, stating, “We are behind where we planned to be… significant challenges remain, so it’s job begun, not job done.” The pressure on schools to address mental health needs is increasing, and there is a growing call for additional resources.
Caroline Barlow, headteacher at Heathfield Community College, expressed concerns about the escalating expectations on schools without corresponding resource increases, emphasizing the need for collaboration between schools and the NHS.
The NHS aimed to provide support for a total of 1,068,481 individuals under 25 by March, encompassing those already receiving support in 2020 and the additional target set. As of October 2023, the total number receiving support was 957,251. While the target for under 17-year-olds showed inconsistent progress, the target for young adults (18 to under 25) lagged behind schedule.
The NHS did not provide specific comments on the reasons behind the target shortfall but emphasized its commitment to treating “more young people than ever before.” The health service plans to expand mental health services to meet increasing demand, with the goal of providing more than half of pupils and learners in schools and colleges access to an NHS mental health support team by spring 2025.
Despite challenges, the NHS contends that it is expanding mental health services as quickly as possible within the current funding arrangements. High vacancy rates and workforce retention challenges were also highlighted, indicating broader systemic issues.
The Department for Health and Social Care has not provided comments on the situation at the time of reporting. The spotlight on child mental health comes amid a 50% rise in children being referred to emergency mental healthcare services in the past three years.
