"Long waits for treatment, unsafe inpatient care and fragmented services remain a daily reality for many, and a long-term strategy creates the opportunity to change that."
- Mark Winstanley - Rethink Mental Illness UK
The UK government’s new mental health plan aims to move the focus from crisis intervention to preventative care in England.
The government has launched a call for evidence to help shape what it is describing as a once-in-a-generation cross-government mental health strategy, inviting frontline workers, clinicians and mental health experts to share their insights on how to transform mental health care for children and adults across England.
The strategy aims to shift the focus towards preventative care, including treating people earlier and faster, and supporting those with mental health conditions to live a full life in which they are able to stay active in their family life, communities, work and education.
Approximately 1 in 5 people now live with a common mental health condition, and while the government hit its target of hiring 8,500 more mental health workers three years ahead of schedule, many people still face long waiting times for care due to rapidly increasing demand for mental health services.
The government made improving mental health care a priority in both its manifesto and 10-year health plan. In 2026, NHS mental health spending is forecast to reach a record £16.1 billion, around £140 million more than last year.
Over the next four years, £473 million will also be made available for mental health emergency departments, community-based mental health centres and wider capital projects, with the aim of accelerating the rollout of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, as well as expanding community‑based support via early support and young futures hubs.
Nevertheless, the government says that the current system remains reactive, fragmented and inconsistent, with support varying based on postcode, while people too often only get help when they reach a crisis point.
The mental health strategy will aim to address this by helping the mental health system to respond earlier and more proportionately. This will include considering the role of schools, workplaces, the voluntary sector and local government in promoting positive mental health, with the intention of moving away from a system that diagnoses patients first and foremost to one that asks what support people need to live better.
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It will also respond to forthcoming recommendations from the independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism, which examines the drivers of increasing demand and how government, the health system and wider public services can meet that demand more fairly and effectively.
The strategy will aim to reflect the mental health needs of autistic people and people with ADHD, who are at a higher risk of developing a mental health condition, while a dedicated cross-government autism strategy will also be developed and published in due course.
The call for evidence opens today, Friday, 15th May and will remain open until 10th July 2026.
"This government believes that mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health, yet too many people across the country are struggling to get the support they need, when they need it," Baroness Merron, minister for mental health, said.
"Alongside record investment in mental health services and more mental health workers than ever in the NHS, this strategy will give mental health the attention it deserves and set us on a new direction - one that focuses on earlier help, faster access and a whole-system approach.
"We want to hear from everyone with a stake in getting this right, including frontline clinicians, service providers, and people with lived experience of mental health conditions, so that we can build a system that truly works for everyone."
Mark Winstanley, chief executive, Rethink Mental Illness UK, added: "We welcome this announcement as a significant step forward, particularly for people severely affected by mental illness who too often face the greatest barriers to support. Long waits for treatment, unsafe inpatient care and fragmented services remain a daily reality for many, and a long-term strategy creates the opportunity to change that.
"What matters now is delivery. We need rapid improvements in access to timely, appropriate treatment, urgent action to ensure inpatient settings are safe and therapeutic, and support that is properly joined up across health, housing and community services. The social security system must also provide a fair and reliable foundation for people who are too unwell to work.
"We stand ready to work with government to ensure this strategy delivers meaningful, measurable change for those who need it most."
