• A call for evidence opens today to inform a new 10-year mental health plan to level up mental health across the country and put mental and physical health on an equal footing
• The public, those with lived experience of mental ill-health, and health and care professionals will have 12 weeks until 5 July to share views on how support and services should adapt for the future
• Plan will build on current progress, assessing how local services can work together to prevent mental ill health

The general public, people of all ages with lived experience of mental health conditions and those who support people with mental ill-health are urged to respond to a 12-week call for evidence to inform a new 10-year mental health plan and a refreshed National Suicide Prevention Plan seeking views on what can be improved within the current service, particularly in light of the pandemic which has led to record levels of people seeking treatment.

Around 1 in 5 adults in Britain experienced some form of depression in the first three months of 2021, over double pre-pandemic figures. Through the NHS Long Term Plan we have committed to continue expanding and transforming mental health services, and to address the impacts of the pandemic.

We have also made £500 million available to support the groups most impacted, including children and young people and those with severe mental illness through our Mental Health Recovery Action Plan.

The call for evidence will now build on this progress, adding to our understanding of the causes of mental ill-health, listening to people who have interacted with services and those who know and support them, to draw on ‘what works’. This will support the development of a plan which aims to prevent and mitigate the impacts of risk factors on mental health and suicide, particularly for groups who experience disparities.

The 10-year plan builds on the NHS Long Term plan and forms part of the government’s wider commitments to Build Back Fairer, working towards putting mental health on a level footing with physical health, and forms a key part of the commitments to address health disparities across the country and to improve the mental wellbeing of the nation by 2030.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

The pandemic put unprecedented pressure on people across the country. While we continue to expand and transform our mental health services under the NHS Long Term Plan to meet rising demand, we know we need to go further.

Too many people, particularly our children and young people, do not have the tools and support they need to look after their wellbeing or prevent mental health problems from escalating.

We all have a role to play in resetting the way we approach mental health and our new 10-year plan will set an ambitious agenda for where we want the mental health of the nation to be a decade from now.

The sooner someone receives support when they are struggling with their mental health, the more likely it is they will recover. The call for evidence seeks views on how the 10-year plan can complement and extend the work of the NHS Long Term Plan to better address how local services can work together, to prevent those at risk from falling into mental ill-health through earlier, targeted help.

The NHS plays an important role in identifying, diagnosing, treating, and supporting people with mental health conditions, and there are also a range of public, private and community services ideally placed to identify people who may be struggling that can offer support or signpost to NHS services. This may include education settings, housing associations, social care, youth centres, workplaces and job centres.

Minister for Mental Health Gillian Keegan said:

Across the country, no matter your background, you should have the opportunity to grow up in, and stay in, good mental health.

I want anyone who needs mental health services to be able to access them.

I encourage everyone, especially those who live with a mental health condition, carers and our brilliant workforce, to share their views on how we improve mental health services and reduce disparities across the country.

The call for evidence, which opens today (Tuesday 12 April) and will close on 5 July, seeks to build consensus on the priority actions we need to collectively take to reduce the number of people who go on to develop mental health conditions, especially for children and young people and communities at greatest risk. It’s important responses are reflective of society, include those from people of all ages and backgrounds, to ensure future services work for all.

It is actively seeking views on several key questions which will be addressed in the plan including:

• How can we all promote positive mental wellbeing?
• How can we all prevent the onset of mental ill-health?
• How can we intervene earlier when people need support with their mental health?
• How can we improve the quality and effectiveness of treatment for mental health conditions?
• How can we all support people living with mental health conditions to live well?
• How can we improve support for people in crisis?

NHS England’s National Mental Health Director Claire Murdoch said:

The pandemic has naturally taken a toll on the nation’s mental health, so there is no better time for everyone to have their say on how we as a society can improve people’s mental wellbeing over the next decade.

Improving people’s mental wellbeing requires action from all parts of our society, so it is vital that as many people as possible from all walks of life respond to this call for evidence.

The plan will also look at how initiatives across government including green social prescribing, online harms and Thriving at Work can work together to ensure people’s daily practical, social and emotional needs are being met, as well as how to fully harness the potential of technology and data to support better mental health, and incentivise the private sector to play its part.

Responses from the call for evidence will also inform the development of a separate National Suicide Prevention Plan which will refresh the 2012 plan. Future detail on this plan will be set out in due course.

Dr Alex George, Youth Mental Health Ambassador, said:

We have made great progress in reducing the stigma associated with mental ill-health, but there is still work to do.

Too many people still don’t know where to turn to for support or can’t access help early enough.

Let’s continue to tackle the stigma that surrounds mental health – let’s respond to this call for evidence and all start a national conversation so that in 10 years from now, the mental health of the nation will be better supported. I am keen to see the outcomes of this consultation followed by adequate funding.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

Mind has long been calling for a more joined-up approach from Government to mental health, one which follows the evidence of what works in areas like benefits, education, and housing to build a better future for us all, and reduces the glaring racial and social inequalities that persist in mental health.

A truly cross-Government plan will play a key role in making sure support for our mental health starts to be rebuilt post-pandemic to the same level as for our physical health.

Advisor to the Government on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, Louis Appleby said:

A new plan for suicide prevention is a chance to reflect the changing pattern of risk, on issues such as online safety and gambling.

It’s a chance to renew our vigilance and reinvigorate the efforts of the people we depend on – bereaved families, charities, professionals and many more. It’s a chance to ensure that suicide prevention is built into our recovery from Covid & to set the priorities for action for the next few years.

Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations, which powers Shout 85258:

We welcome the Call for Evidence to inform a new 10 year Mental Health Plan and look forward to contributing insights and evidence from the first four years of the operation of the Shout service. Over the course of the pandemic, our Shout text service saw conversation numbers with people in distress increase three-fold.

This substantial growth has enabled us to gain unique insights into the mental health needs and experiences of key groups, including children and young people, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with autism, and underserved communities.

Marjorie Wallace CBE, Chief Executive of SANE, said:

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to help create mental health services able to respond to individual need at the time a person reaches out for help, or when they need consistent support. We hope that everyone concerned will take this opportunity to shape the future.

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:

We welcome the government’s recognition that our mental health doesn’t exist in a silo. It’s influenced by the quality of our relationships, education and housing, the fairness of our justice system, the security of our income and the health of our communities. A well-resourced whole-government plan for mental health is the pioneering step we need for building the mentally healthy society we all want: where mental health is an asset to be nurtured, rather than a problem to be treated.

Mubeen Bhutta, Head of Policy, Public Affairs & Campaigns at Samaritans:

Suicide is preventable and the refreshed suicide prevention strategy and next 10-year mental health plan are real opportunities to save lives and make sure we learn lessons from previous approaches.

It’s crucial this consultation hears from people with lived experience. The long-term impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic is likely to play out over many years and so it is vital that we have a well-planned strategy to ensure that mental health and suicide prevention are considered just as important as physical health to the wellbeing of the nation.

The questions in the call for evidence have been developed in partnership with stakeholders and people with lived experience of mental ill-health. More detail on each of the questions can be found in a discussion paper also published today alongside the Call for Evidence.

We are transforming mental health services in England with an extra £2.3 billion a year. This includes expanding talking therapies to ensure 1.9 million people will be able to access them by 2023/24, and give an additional 345,000 children access to NHS-funded services or school and college-based support by 2024.

• Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 88% in clinical trials and is already available directly through the NHS to highest-risk patients
• The UK has procured more antivirals per head than any other country in Europe with over 4.98m courses ordered so far

Thousands more vulnerable people in England are now eligible to receive the UK’s second oral antiviral treatment for Covid.

Paxlovid has been added to the PANORAMIC national study, the UK’s fastest-ever recruiting clinical trial of its kind, which is run by the University of Oxford in close collaboration with GP hubs. It is already available directly through the NHS to those whose immune systems mean they are at higher risk of serious illness who test positive for the virus – including those who are immunocompromised, cancer patients, or those with Down’s Syndrome.

The PANORAMIC study makes antivirals available to a large number of patients, whilst collecting further data on how the antivirals work where the majority of the adult population is vaccinated. It ensures antivirals are being used in the most effective way and is crucial in ensuring clinicians have the full information to prescribe antiviral treatments to patients in future.

The study is open to adults over the age of 50 or those aged 18 to 49 with an underlying health condition that can increase the risk of developing severe Covid, who have received a positive Covid test result, and who are experiencing symptoms that started in the previous five days.

In just over three months, more than 20,000 patients have joined the nation-wide study to help generate vital data on molnupiravir, the first oral antiviral to be made available. The introduction of Paxlovid will allow a further 17,500 patients to enrol to access this ground-breaking treatment, which has been shown to reduce the relative risk of death or hospitalisation by 88% in clinical trials.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

As we learn to live with Covid, the UK continues to lead the way in using cutting-edge treatments which have already saved the lives of many of the country’s most vulnerable patients.

The addition of Paxlovid to the ground-breaking PANORAMIC study is an important milestone and will help us understand who benefits most from these treatments.

If you’re aged 50 and over or have an underlying health condition and test positive for Covid, I urge you to participate in this study by signing up as soon as you can.

Antivirals are treatments used to either treat those who are infected with a virus or protect exposed individuals from becoming infected. The government, through the Antivirals Taskforce, has procured 4.98 million courses of antivirals in total – more per head than any other country in Europe.

Whilst vaccines remain the most important first line of defence, antivirals target the virus at an early stage, preventing progression to more severe, or even critical, symptoms.

Chris Butler, from the University of Oxford and Clinical Trial Lead, said:

It is early on in the illness, when people are still being cared for in the community, that treatments for Covid could have their greatest benefit. The PANORAMIC trial is testing whether novel, promising antiviral treatments help people suffering from Covid in the community to recover faster and reduce the need for treatment in hospital.

It is critically important that new treatments are tested on people and in the situation where they are intended to be used. Joining the PANORAMIC trial will help ensure people with Covid, and indeed the NHS, get the maximum benefit from these precious treatments.

Professor Paul Little, from the University of Southampton and Co-Chief Investigator, said:

The PANORAMIC trial is one of the most ambitious ever undertaken in the community worldwide. The inclusion of Paxlovid in the trial is an exciting addition that will provide vital information about treatments to help the most vulnerable people in the ongoing fight against Covid.

Professor Nick Lemoine CBE, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), said:

The addition of Paxlovid into the NIHR-supported PANORAMIC trial represents an exciting development. While smaller-scale studies have already shown this new antiviral treatment to be highly effective against Covid in the early stages of infection, additional evidence from much larger cohorts is needed to enable clinicians and health services to make best use of these exciting new treatments.

With over 23,000 participants having taken part in PANORAMIC so far – the world’s largest platform trial into new antiviral treatments against Covid – collectively the UK is providing vital additional data which will enable rapid deployment and best use of these new potentially life-saving treatments to patients who will benefit from them the most.

The government has secured 2.75 million courses of Paxlovid (PF-07321332 and ritonavir), made by Pfizer. Those who enrol in the PANORAMIC study will be randomly allocated to receive either an antiviral treatment in addition to standard NHS care, or standard NHS care only.

The study is UK-wide, although initially recruitment will only be available in England for Paxlovid. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations to develop plans for how this arm could be started in all four nations in due course.

Callum Wilkinson’s winning design, announced on the International Day of Human Spaceflight (12 April) includes a satellite orbiting the Earth, with surrounding images themed around the role of space technology in monitoring and tackling climate change.

More than 10,000 primary school children aged between 4 and 11 years old entered the competition, which was run by the UK Space Agency in collaboration with Hopscotch Consulting to help inspire the next generation to consider a career in the space sector. While Callum was the overall winner, there were also 13 regional winners.

The UK is set to become the first country in Europe to host small satellite launches this year, as set out in the National Space Strategy. As well as monitoring climate change, satellite data can be used to help provide essential daily services, such as television broadcasting and navigation systems, and to improve connectivity. The UK already employs more than 45,000 people in space jobs and having our own domestic launch capability will create new opportunities to benefit people and businesses across the UK.

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO at UK Space Agency, said:

Thousands of people across the UK already work in our growing space sector, and there will be even more high-value jobs created as satellite launches begin from British spaceports this year.

To support this exciting and important industry, we must inspire talented young people to consider future careers in science and engineering. The Logo Lift Off competition has uncovered fantastic ideas from children like Callum, right across the UK and given them an opportunity to learn how satellite data is helping to tackle global challenges such as climate change.

Congratulations to the winners, and all those who took part.

The UK’s first small satellite launch is set to take place from Spaceport Cornwall later this year, followed by vertical launches from Scotland at both Space Hub Sutherland in the Highlands and SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

Logo Lift Off winner, Callum, a pupil at Blackrod Primary school, in Bolton, said:

My design shows orbits made of string and has pictures on to show what the satellites are going to be used for.

I went on the internet and learnt loads of things about satellites and climate change and then the idea just burst into my brain, and I planned it out on the computer before making it. I feel very proud of myself and really, really on top of the world!

As well as seeing his design on the rocket, Callum will be invited to visit the first launch from the UK. He will also receive a goody bag, a framed certificate, a picture of his designed artwork as it will appear on the rocket, and a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) learning kit.

Logo Lift Off competition judges included TV presenters Maddie Moate, Martin Dougan, Michael Underwood and Greg Foot, as well as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Maya Ghazal. They described Callum’s design as “immensely creative”.

Thirteen other entries were crowned regional winners in the Logo Lift Off competition and will receive goody bags, STEAM kits, personalised certificates and the opportunity for their class to attend an online talk with a UK Space Agency representative.

The 13 regional winning entries are:

• Christian Swinn, age 4, from Caernarfon in Wales
• Alina and Ilya Moore, both age 6, from York
• Bluebelle Paul, age 11, from Bath
• Adam Mohammed, age 6, from Birmingham
• Rushabh Sutar, age 4, from Norwich
• James Bambrook, age 10, from Southend-on-Sea
• Aiden Roach, age 10, from London
• Daniel and Sophie Lah-Anyane, age 10 and 7, from Northampton
• Annabel Earp, age 7, from Nottingham
• Michael Cunningham, age 10, from Castlewellan in Northern Ireland
• Ariadni Constantinidou, age 11, from Glasgow
• Emilly Frankland (11), Freya Brown (10) and Alice Stobbart (11) from Chester-le-Street
• Inara Kell, age 6, from Saltburn-by-the Sea

Around half of the different types of data needed to accurately monitor the Earth’s climate are currently collected from space. Satellites are used routinely to monitor the polar ice caps and changing sea levels, measure the temperature of the oceans and deserts, and even to count endangered animals such as whales and walrus. The UK is playing an important role in three new missions to measure carbon emissions from space (MicroCarb), improve climate data (TRUTHS), and monitor the health of forests (Biomass).