We received the following reply to our open letter and will be writing back to further explain our position. We will add our reply here once sent.
17 April 2025
To whom it may concern,
Thank you for your recent open letter, which has been forwarded to the Adoption Policy team for response.
Thank you for sharing the research from the United States, which we understand is not yet formally published. On this basis, at this stage we are unable to comment, given the status of the findings, but we will be very interested to engage with this further after publication.
I note your comments about the need for further research, including mortality rates. However, the Office for National Statistics does not hold mortality statistics by birth status, such as whether a person is adopted, as this information is not recorded on the death certificate, so this would not be straightforward.
The government recognises that too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we are committed to ensuring we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health so that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.
Mental health is and remains a priority for the NHS, backed by the Mental Health Investment Standard, which continues in 2025-26 to ensure that mental health funding is ring-fenced to support delivery of our commitments.
NHS Talking Therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, provide treatment to adults with common mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. People can self refer to NHS Talking Therapies or be referred by their GP. Regulations have also been amended to make it easier for adoptees to access support.
Yours faithfully,
[………….]
Policy Adviser
Adoption Policy team