Government to transform Mental Health care with new strategy

• Call for Evidence launched during Mental Health Awareness Week to seek evidence of best practice in communities
• Part of 10 Year Health Plan commitment to give mental health the attention it deserves

Frontline workers, clinicians and mental health experts are today [Friday 15 May] being invited to share their views on how to transform mental health care for children and adults in England, as the government launches a Call for Evidence to shape its once-in-a-generation cross-government Mental Health Strategy.

The strategy will drive a fundamental shift towards prevention – treating people earlier and faster, and supporting those with mental health conditions to live a full life and stay active in education, work, family life and their communities.

Demand for mental health services has risen rapidly, particularly among children and young people, who often face long waiting times for the care they need. Around one in five people are now affected by a common mental health condition.

Improving mental health care is a priority in the government's manifesto and 10 Year Health Plan and the government has hit its target to hire 8,500 extra mental health workers three years ahead of schedule. This year, NHS mental health spending is forecast to reach a record £16.1 billion – a real-terms increase of around £140 million on last year.

On top of this, we are making £473 million available over the next four years for Mental Health Emergency Departments, Community-based Mental Health Centres and wider capital projects, accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges and expanding community‑based support via Early Support and Young Futures Hubs.

 But despite record investment and significant workforce growth, the current system remains reactive, fragmented and inconsistent. Support varies based on postcode, and too often people only get help when they reach crisis point. The Mental Health strategy will address this by setting new direction for the mental health system so that it responds earlier and more proportionately.

Baroness Merron, Minister for Mental Health, 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.

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.

We want to hear from everyone with a stake in getting this right, including frontline clinicians, service providers, and people with lived experience of mental health conditions, so that we can build a system that truly works for everyone.

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.

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 social security system must also provide a fair and reliable foundation for people who are too unwell to work.

We stand ready to work with government to ensure this strategy delivers meaningful, measurable change for those who need it most.

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. 

Our nation's mental health has gone downhill over recent decades due to things like the Covid-19 pandemic and the legacy of austerity. But change is possible, and we are pleased that the government is taking action.  

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 strategy will also look beyond clinical settings to consider the role of schools, workplaces, the voluntary sector and local government in promoting positive mental health, moving from a system that first and foremost seeks to diagnose patients, to one that asks what support people need to live better.

It will also respond to forthcoming recommendations from the independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism, chaired by eminent psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy. The review is examining the drivers of increasing demand and how government, the health system and wider public services can meet that demand more fairly and effectively.

Autistic people and people with ADHD face a much higher risk of developing a mental health condition. The Strategy will reflect the mental health needs of these groups, while a dedicated cross-government autism strategy will also be developed and published in due course, and the government will engage with stakeholders to consider extending it to cover ADHD.

The Call for Evidence opens today and will remain open for eight weeks, closing on 10 July 2026.

Brian Dow, Chair, Head On, and Haroon Chowdry, Campaign Partner, Future Minds, two coalitions representing over 20 leading mental health organisations 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.

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.   Our campaigns exist to raise mental health up the policy agenda, prioritise children's mental health, and tackle the crisis head on. Together, we welcome this renewed focus from government and the opportunity to shape what that action looks like. To succeed, this must reach beyond the health system, addressing the social and economic conditions that shape mental health and delivering a genuinely joined-up plan across government.

James Harris, Director of Communications of Mental Health UK, said:

We strongly welcome the government's commitment to a cross-government mental health strategy. 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.

The opportunity now is to ensure people have the tools, support and environments they need to maintain good mental health and get help early. That requires action across education, employment and public services, alongside sustained investment in evidence-based support. In particular, the strategy must help more people experiencing mental health problems to get into and stay in work, with employers properly supported to play their part.   A genuinely joined-up approach can make a real difference to people's everyday lives.