{"value":{"id":1663128,"askingMemberId":4943,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2023-10-13T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2023-10-17T00:00:00","uin":"200982","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve the way referrals are made by schools to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, in the context of Coroner Abigail Combes' prevention of future deaths report in September 2023.","answeringBodyId":17,"answeringBodyName":"Department of Health and Social Care","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":false,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":4492,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2023-10-24T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>The Department is committed to improving the way referrals are made by schools to child and adolescent mental health services, through the work of mental health support teams, enhancing join up between schools and mental health services. There are now almost 400 mental health support teams in place across England, covering over three million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges. We are aiming to increase this coverage to 50% by April 2025.</p><p>We are progressing work with NHS England and stakeholders to increase access to children and young people’s mental health services as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan. The National Health Service is working towards implementing a new waiting time standard for children, young people and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services to start to receive care within four weeks from referral.</p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Mental Health Services: Children and Young People","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/1663128","method":"GET"}]}