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Written question asked by Simon Opher (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Preet Kaur Gill (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting list times for mental health services.

Answer

The Government expects waiting times to reduce over time as reforms take effect. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, this will be supported by expanding the workforce, improving productivity, investing in digitally enabled therapies, and introducing new models of care in the community, including community mental health centres that bring together services to improve access and reduce delays.

The Department is working with NHS England to improve the measurement and consistency of waiting time data across mental health services, including through the development of measures that will consistently capture when a patient has received meaningful help and started treatment across different areas.

This work will support future decisions on the role of waiting time standards as part of wider service reform. We cannot comment on the specific policy detail in the final Mental Health Strategy at this time, as it will be informed by the Call for the Evidence, the Prevalence Review final report, and any relevant wider evidence.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
8375
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Mental health services Waiting lists
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk