Oral QuestionDepartment of Health and Social Care

What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services.

Tabled: 12 February 2026Answered: 24 February 2026

Asked by

Dame Meg Hillier

Labour (Co-op)Hackney South and Shoreditch

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Answer from Hansard

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Dr Zubir Ahmed)

Mental health issues affect all ages, and the support is not always there. We are determined to change that. We have hired almost 8,000 extra mental health workers since we came into office and increased investment in mental health by an additional £688 million this year. We are also transforming services through community-based 24/7 mental health centres, providing open access to treatment and support for adults with severe mental health needs, expanding NHS talking therapies, and rolling out mental health support teams in more schools.