There’s still a long road ahead, but there are encouraging signs that change is possible in how children and young people are supported.
In some parts of the UK, thoughtful service redesign and better coordination have helped improve access, reduce waiting times and strengthen the quality of care. Progress isn’t consistent everywhere, but these examples show that when systems evolve with care and collaboration, better outcomes can follow.
Getting support is important, but getting the right support can matter even more. Galea helps by offering structured, consistent assessments supported by peer benchmarking across thousands of anonymised journeys. This collective insight helps identify concerns that might otherwise be missed and ensures each young person’s needs are understood with clarity and context. Better understanding means better referral. Better referral means better care.
More than 1 in 5 children and young people now have a diagnosable mental-health problem. But with limited capacity, the NHS is only able to support around 40% and even fewer receive the right care for them. The gap isn’t only access. Its accuracy, timing, and matching needs to support.
Source: https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications/future-minds
Long waits increase distress, risk, and pressure on services. Galea helps by providing structured self assessments, easy to share reports with practitioners, and a way for organisations to understand needs sooner, even before an appointment begins. Galea works across the care pathway to reduce the harm waiting can cause.
More than one in three people say their mental health gets worse while waiting for support from a GP, charity, or community service. Waiting doesn’t just delay care, it deepens need.
As we look back at 2025, this remains one of the most pressing challenges across the system.
Source: https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications/the-big-mental-health-report-2025
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