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Children's commissioner for England warns of mental health treatment delays

2 mins read Health
The average waiting times between children being referred to mental health services and starting treatment has increased for the first time in five years, new analysis from England’s children’s commissioner has found.
Rachel de Souza recommends a roll out of mental health teams to all schools. Picture: Office of the children's commissioner for England
Rachel de Souza recommends a roll out of mental health teams to all schools. Picture: Office of the children's commissioner for England

Average wait times for children accessing children and young people’s mental health services increased from 32 days in 2020-21, to 40 days in 2021-22, according to a new report from Rachel de Souza.

This increase indicates a reversal in trends seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The annual total of children being referred to mental health services had increased to 734,000 in 2021-22 in comparison to 498,000 the year before, which the report states could reflect both a methodology change and an increase in prevalence of probable mental health disorders in children.

The report, based on new figures from NHS England and NHS Digital, also found an increase in the percentage of children whose referrals were closed prior to any treatment being administered, with the figure reaching as high as 50 per cent in North Cumbria.

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