Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure mental health services are included in the Prevent strategy.

The aim of Prevent is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Healthcare professionals have a key role in Prevent because they will meet and treat people who may be susceptible to radicalisation and those working for the NHS play an important role under the Prevent duty.

Prevent works closely with DHSC and the NHS to ensure mental health services are actively involved in Prevent where appropriate, and the Prevent duty guidance encourages collaboration between local authorities, health services, and police to ensure coordinated support.

If a healthcare professional is concerned that a patient is being radicalised, a Prevent referral could allow the patient to get the help and support needed to prevent them being radicalised into terrorism.

Where a person is referred to Prevent due to radicalisation concerns, as part of a Channel panel, multi-agency partners can conduct an assessment and offer a tailored package of support. Mental health professionals are represented on Channel panels and provide advice and guidance to put a support plan in place.

In a written ministerial statement on 16 July 2025, the Home Secretary noted that: 'the first stage of the strategic policy review into how Prevent manages people with mental ill-health or who are neurodivergent has also concluded. Action is underway to implement those findings.' The Home Office is continuing to work with the DHSC and partners to ensure that mental health considerations are fully integrated into Prevent delivery.