YoungMinds responds to Lord Darzi’s review into the NHS

Lord Darzi’s review confirms what we know already – that young people and their mental health have been severely let down by the system there to support them. YoungMinds submitted evidence to the review against a backdrop of ever-growing referrals and increasing numbers of young people in crisis. Undoubtedly there are thousands of people working tirelessly in the NHS to help young people who are struggling with their mental health, but the system simply cannot keep up with demand.

Mental health is the biggest health and social issue facing young people today and a broad review like this can only seek to address a fraction of the problems that they are facing. Services will always be at the centre of this conversation but to truly make a difference for young people, we must look at the systemic issues that impact their mental health. Young people need support and care beyond the boundaries of the NHS, that covers all aspects of their lives such as education, social care, housing and cost-of-living.

The Government can make a start by rolling out open access early support hubs across the country so that all young people can get help in their community. Beyond that, we need bolder, braver solutions. From politicians to GPs, from teachers to parents, we must all recognise that what we are doing now isn’t going to fix the problems young people are facing and look at solutions that match the scale of the problem.