Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2022 to Question 99933 on Mental Health Services: Children and Young People, when he plans to take a decision on the potential introduction of a new waiting time standard that children, young people and their families and carers presenting to community-based mental health services should start to receive care within four weeks of referral; what estimate he has made of the level of any additional children and adolescent mental health service workforce that would be required to meet that new waiting time standard; and if he will make a statement.

The Department and NHS England are working to establish the feasibility and associated risks of introducing new mental health waiting time standards, including one for children and young people’s community-based mental health services. As a first step, NHS England has shared and promoted guidance with its local system partners to consistently report waiting times to support the development of a baseline position.