# Present a mental health strategy before Christmas

> “This will all be considered as part of a mental health strategy that will come before this House before Christmas.”
>
> — Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, Labour Party; Prime Minister's Questions, 9 September 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Health](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/health)
- **Speaker:** [Andy Burnham](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/andy-burnham), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Labour Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/labour)
- **Made on:** 9 September 2026
- **Where:** Prime Minister's Questions
- **Deadline:** 24 December 2026
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Children and adults in England who need mental health support (DHSC's May 2026 call for evidence is for a mental health strategy for England). The question was about mental health in-patient beds in Hertfordshire and patients sent far from home.
- **When:** Before Christmas 2026
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-09-09/debates/C226C460-61AA-49F3-BBE8-1219B334BEDC/Engagements (checked word for word on 7 October 2026; Open Parliament Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 7 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-mental-health-strategy-2026

## Where it stands

"Before Christmas" is recorded as a deadline of 24 December 2026. DHSC opened a call for evidence for a cross-government mental health strategy for England on 15 May 2026; no strategy had been published by 7 October 2026.

## Timeline

- 9 September 2026, Promised: The Prime Minister tells the Commons a mental health strategy will come before the House before Christmas
- 24 December 2026, Deadline (to come): Strategy due before the House before Christmas (editorial date)

## About the cost

No costing published.

## Sources

- [Hansard, House of Commons, 9 Sep 2026: Engagements (Prime Minister's Questions)](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-09-09/debates/C226C460-61AA-49F3-BBE8-1219B334BEDC/Engagements)
- [DHSC call for evidence, 15 May 2026: Informing the mental health strategy for England](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/informing-the-mental-health-strategy-for-england)

## Checks

- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 7 October 2026; human editor review to come.

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