The Government has announced its plan to develop and publish a new Major Conditions Strategy. This will replace the 10-year mental health plan, which was promised last year, and a Health Disparities strategy.
Barnardo's Chief Executive Lynn Perry MBE said:
“Barnardo’s has long warned that children are facing a mental health crisis. The announcement today that the Government will no longer be publishing a 10-year Mental Health Strategy raises urgent questions about how Ministers intend to tackle this issue.
“At a time when one in six children and one in four young people aged 17-19 have a probable mental health condition, and against the backdrop of cost-of-living pressures, the need for a cross-government strategy for children’s mental health has never been greater.
“We want to see any strategy informed by the voices of children and young people and Mental Health Support Teams rolled out to every school and college in England. Our evidence shows that not only do these teams help improve the lives of children and young people with mild to moderate mental health conditions, but for every £1 spent on Mental Health Support Teams, there is a return of £1.90 to the state.
"We are also concerned that the Government will no longer be publishing the long-awaited Health Disparities strategy, that would have set out steps to reduce long standing inequalities in health and life expectancy.
“We know that poverty and disadvantages in childhood can lead to poorer health throughout their lives, and certain groups of children and young people are particularly at risk of poor outcomes. While the Major Conditions Strategy will aim to improve outcomes across many serious diseases, we are concerned that by shifting away from a dedicated plan to tackle the wider factors affecting child health, this strategy won’t close the gap in health outcomes for many people across the UK.”