Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish (a) targets and (b) measurable outcomes as part of the Mental Health Strategy for England.

The new Mental Health Strategy for England will aim to transform mental health care into a system that provides timely support that matches people’s needs and circumstances, reduces waiting times for support, and responds earlier before distress escalates. A key aim will be to reorient the mental health system towards greater emphasis on participation in areas such as education, employment, and community life.

The strategy will be informed by the findings and recommendations from the independent review into prevalence and support for mental health, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism, which is due to publish a final report in summer. It will also be informed by the responses to the Call for Evidence, which is currently open for eight weeks and will close on 10 July.

The Call for Evidence invites views from service providers, clinicians, academics, and advocacy groups, asking for practical examples and implementation evidence to on how to implement improvements in outcomes across the life course. In particular, it asks how data can be used more innovatively to improve mental health and wider societal outcomes.

Through developing the strategy, we will engage with stakeholders, experts, and people with lived experience on how to track progress of the strategy, including potential targets.