← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Children’s Mental Health Week 2024 — [Mark Pritchard in the Chair]
30 January 2024
Lead MP
Rosena Allin-Khan
Tooting
Lab
Responding Minister
Maria Caulfield
Tags
NHSEducationEmploymentMental Health
Word Count: 13396
Other Contributors: 15
At a Glance
Rosena Allin-Khan raised concerns about children’s mental health week 2024 — [mark pritchard in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should invest in early intervention to improve child and adolescent mental health services and ensure prompt access to support. We need tangible action beyond platitudes, addressing the waiting lists that grow as children are let down and families suffer.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The challenges facing the mental health of young people are escalating, with one in five children having a mental illness and half developing by age 14. The number of children needing support is projected to reach 1.5 million, but the Government's lack of funding and attention exacerbates this crisis. Children are increasingly presenting at younger ages in A&E, leading to severe outcomes like suicide attempts and eating disorders, while families face agonising waits for services. With only 8% of mental health funding going towards children's services despite young people making up a quarter of all contacts, the number on CAMHS waiting lists is almost half a million—record figures that reflect profound pain and anguish across families. The socioeconomic divide does not shield anyone from these issues, affecting millions regardless of background.
Erith and Thamesmead
Praised Dr Allin-Khan for her work on mental health issues, highlighted the severe state of crisis in child and adolescent mental health services, citing NHS data showing over 3,500 urgent referrals for under-18s in May 2023, up three times from 2019. Emphasised that children's mental health is a moral and economic case, with the number of referrals reaching record highs at nearly half a million under-18s by November 2023.
Amy Callaghan
SNP
East Dunbartonshire
The SNP MP emphasised the importance of addressing the root causes and aggravating factors leading to poor mental health in children, highlighting poverty as a key driver. She commended Scottish Government initiatives such as additional funding for LGBT youth mental health projects (£50,000) and the whole school approach framework aimed at supporting children's mental health through education. Noted Scotland's greater investment in NHS and mental health services compared to England.
Daniel Poulter
Con
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Highlighting existing challenges in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) commissioning and workforce recruitment, urging for proper answers from the Minister. Agrees with the previous speaker about health visitors, mentioning his role in increasing their numbers. Criticises local authority commissioning changes for negatively impacting health visitor services. Reflects on family nurses' support to deprived families and the impact of the pandemic on their work and mental health outcomes.
George Freeman
Con
Mid Norfolk
Emphasising the need for better data to understand drivers of mental health issues among children, particularly those affected by alcoholism, divorce, and conflict during the pandemic. He emphasised that while poverty is a cause of childhood trauma, other chronic issues such as alcohol addiction and domestic violence are also significant factors.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Stressed the importance of early years intervention for positive mental health, highlighting inequalities in accessing support for those most adversely affected by mental health issues.
Jeremy Quin
Con
Richmond Park
In his constituency, the NHS has provided i-Rock Horsham District which allows young people to seek professional support without a referral from teachers or parents.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon highlighted the issue of children's mental health, noting that more than 2,000 young people are waiting for assessments from CAMHS in Northern Ireland. He stressed the importance of support and openness in combating mental health issues, particularly eating disorders, with about 50 to 120 new cases of anorexia and 170 cases of bulimia developing annually. Asked the Minister about ensuring young people have church activities and pastoral care.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Raising concerns about disproportionate impacts on black children and young people, questioning whether racism should be considered as a trauma.
Neil Hudson
Con
Epping Forest
Supporting the concept of prevention through training and signposting, highlighting the importance of suicide prevention in school curriculums.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Ms Maskell highlighted the importance of addressing trauma and environmental factors affecting children's mental health, emphasising the need for greater investment in mental health professionals and a 10-year strategy focusing on children's mental health. She urged cross-departmental collaboration to tackle issues related to education, housing, poverty, and care-experienced young people. Ms Maskell also stressed the urgency of having mental health professionals in schools and expressed concerns about slow roll-out due to workforce challenges.
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Stating that unnecessary poverty and lack of opportunity contribute to mental health issues among young people, citing West Yorkshire's 24,560 children waiting for mental health support as an example.
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Called for cross-party recommendations to be implemented, noting that work has been done but ignored by the Government. He also pointed out that black people are significantly more adversely affected by current policy.
Tim Loughton
Con
East Worthing and Shoreham
Acknowledging the early intervention fund and Best Start for Life project's positive impact on child mental health through addressing maternal depression during pregnancy. Agreed with the importance of prevention being better than cure for mental health issues, citing personal experience. He also highlighted the work of '3 Dads Walking' and called for more research on adverse childhood experiences. Mr Loughton highlighted the significant impact of COVID-19 on children's mental health, noting an increase in cases since the pandemic began. He mentioned the decline in health visitor numbers and their diversion to frontline duties during the pandemic, impacting early support for new parents. Additionally, he discussed the negative effects of school lockdowns on children's social development and safeguarding issues, as well as the critical need for timely mental health referrals. Tim Loughton briefly intervened, though his specific point was not detailed in the provided text.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Ms Hobhouse highlighted the importance of addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as a major driver of poor mental health in children. She noted that ACEs can alter brain function and lead to higher risks of depression, anxiety disorders, dropping out of school, obesity, and reduced life expectancy. Emphasising the need for trauma-informed services across various sectors including schools, healthcare, welfare, and law enforcement, she mentioned a £15 billion annual cost associated with abuse and neglect alone in the UK. She stressed the importance of early intervention and support from reliable adults to break the cycle of repeat trauma.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South and Walkden
Ms Qureshi highlighted the insufficient investment in mental health services, noting that there are not enough spaces for children with mental health issues. She mentioned a 12-week wait time for CAMHS appointments and a 25% increase in waiting lists since November 2022, citing a total of 29,690 children awaiting support. Ms Qureshi also pointed out that 1.6 million young people are currently affected by mental health issues, which is double the number from ten years ago.
Government Response
Maria Caulfield
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Pritchard. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Tooting (Dr Allin-Khan) for securing this debate ahead of Children's Mental Health Week. The Government are investing £2.3 billion extra a year in mental health services, making a difference with projects such as capital investment programme to eradicate mental health dormitories and 27,000 additional staff. Despite the increased funding, there is still difficulty meeting demand for children's mental health services due to rising rates of mental health issues. The minister highlighted that across all four nations of the UK, targets are not being met, with Scotland and Wales facing challenges similar to England's. In England, 703,000 children received support through NHS-funded services in 2022-23, a 13.1% increase on the year before. Two waiting time standards were introduced for eating disorders and psychosis, showing progress towards meeting targets. The minister also mentioned £4.92 million of new funding to develop mental health and wellbeing support hubs across England, set to be announced shortly. Additional measures include rolling out 400 mental health support teams covering 3.4 million pupils in England and training senior mental health leads in schools. The plan is cross-Government, with collaboration between the Department for Education and NHS to better support school attendance.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.