The King’s Speech was an opportunity to address the ongoing crisis in children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Instead, the Government has scrapped reforms to the Mental Health Act and missed the chance to put prevention and early intervention at the heart of the health service.
Barnardo’s welcomes the Government’s plans to ensure that no child under the age of 14 can legally buy cigarettes, but this cannot be the limit to the Government’s work on prevention. New investment in mental health mentioned in the King’s Speech must address the crisis in children and young people’s mental health and provide preventative and early interventions. Without it, we risk creating a lost generation of children and young people, with lifelong impacts on health, wellbeing and earning potential.