Mental health
The NHS Long Term Plan makes a renewed commitment to improve and widen access to care for children and adults needing mental health support.
Our NHS Long Term Plan will deliver the fastest expansion in mental health services in the NHS’s history, with thousands more adults being able to access talking therapies for common disorders and better support being offered to children and young people.
It will also improve how the NHS treats people with severe mental illnesses, including during crisis, and will ensure more mothers experiencing severe mental health issues get the treatment they need – with their partners being offered mental health support for the first time too.
What we will do
- Transform mental health care so more people can access treatment by increasing funding at a faster rate than the overall NHS budget – and by at least £2.3bn a year by 2023/24
- Make it easier and quicker for people of all ages to receive mental health crisis care, around the clock, 365 days a year, including through NHS 111
- Expand specialist mental health care for mothers during and following pregnancy, with mental health assessments offered to partners so they can be signposted to services for support if they need it
- Expand services, including through schools and colleges, so that an extra 345,000 children and young people aged 0-25 can get support when they need it, in ways that work better for them
- Continue to develop services in the community and hospitals, including talking therapies and mental health liaison teams, to provide the right level of care for hundreds of thousands more people with common or severe mental illnesses.
Putting it into practice – Fabiola’s story
Fabiola began experiencing psychosis during her childhood, hearing voices which left her vulnerable and confused.
After speaking to her GP, Fabiola was referred to an Early Intervention in Psychosis Service for the expert support she needed, including talking therapy.
She explained: “After having that support, now I’m proud to say what I like, what I don’t like, just simple things. I’m happy with being me.”
Find out more
Take a look at our other mental health case studies.
See what the NHS Long Term Plan says about children and young people’s mental health and adult mental health.