Overview

This bill mandates the UK government to provide annual reports to Parliament detailing mental health services for children and young people in England. These reports will include information on spending, waiting times, and an assessment of service effectiveness against the NHS Long Term Plan.

Description

The Mental Health Provision (Children and Young People) Bill requires the Secretary of State to submit yearly reports to Parliament on the state of children's and young people's mental healthcare in England. These reports must:

• Assess mental health services: Evaluate services provided by schools, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and local authorities.
• Detail CAMHS spending: Include the total NHS England spending on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), per capita spending, the percentage of the NHS and mental health budgets allocated to CAMHS, broken down regionally. This must also assess if spending met the NHS Long Term Plan's goals.
• Report on waiting times: Provide data on waiting times for various urgency levels, including the proportion of children and young people seen within specific timeframes (4 hours, 24 hours, 1 hour for assessments) after referral or emergency department visits, and the proportion starting treatment within 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months, or after more than 12 months. Regional breakdowns are required. Definitions of "very urgent" and "urgent" align with NHS England's February 2022 guidelines.

The reports must be submitted by January 31st each year, aligning with NHS England's budget and planning cycles.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly increase or decrease government spending. Instead, it requires transparent reporting of existing spending on CAMHS, allowing for greater accountability and potential future adjustments based on the reported data. No specific figures are provided within the bill itself.

Groups Affected

• Children and young people with mental health needs: The bill aims to improve their access to timely and effective services.
• Families and carers: The bill's transparency measures may improve their understanding of service provision and wait times.
• Schools, CCGs, and local authorities: These organizations will be subject to scrutiny through the required reporting on their roles in providing mental health services.
• NHS England: The bill increases the organization's accountability for CAMHS performance and resource allocation.
• Parliament: Parliamentarians will have access to detailed information for oversight and potential policy adjustments.

Powered by nyModel