Responding to the publication of the Darzi Review, Amy Whitelock Gibbs, Chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition says:
‘Today’s publication of the Darzi Review lays bare what the children’s mental health sector has known for a very long time; rising mental health need in children and young people is far outstripping service capacity, leaving babies, children, young people, and their families without the support they so desperately need. Referrals to children and young people’s mental health services have increased by nearly 12% between 2016 and 2024, whilst long waiting times for support have become normalised.
The review also points to the widening inequalities in society, with many of these, such as poverty, beginning in early childhood. It is no coincidence that mental health problems have increased alongside rising levels of child poverty. Our recent research with Centre for Mental Health and Save the Children UK highlights the devastating impact of poverty and financial insecurity on the mental health of children and families. For far too long, the links between poverty and mental health have been ignored. The creation of a Child Poverty taskforce and a new Child poverty strategy provides a crucial opportunity to tackle poverty as a root cause of mental health problems. As a first step, this should include eliminating the two-child limit, which could help thousands of children and young people out of poverty and protect their mental health.
It is clear that urgent action is needed to reform mental health care for children and young people. The Government must grasp the nettle and commit substantial funding, cross-departmental policy change and long overdue legal reforms to prioritise and protect the mental health of our babies, children and young people. This should include a new comprehensive, long-term strategy to improve mental health support across life, as well as expanding support in the community through new Young Futures hubs to increase access to early mental health support.’
