Mental Health Services

The Government has already made significant progress in strengthening the mental health workforce, including by delivering our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health staff three years ahead of schedule, which will help to ease pressure on services and expand access to care.

We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. We will ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

But there is much more to do. That is why we are developing the new cross-Government mental health strategy for England which will aim to transform mental health care into a system that responds earlier, reduces waiting times for support, and intervenes before distress escalates to diagnosis or crisis. Transforming the system will take time, but we are committed to delivering a different approach.

We have not made an estimate of the number of additional mental health professionals required to deliver the strategy. The strategy reflects the need for a new approach to mental health, where support better matches people’s needs and circumstances, including through support delivered within and beyond the NHS.

The Call for Evidence, which is open until 10 July, invites views on the main enablers that are needed for delivering services and this vision, such as workforce.