Mental health professionals have welcomed the move, which they say is likely to foreshadow a further increase in the age range to 18 in the Children's National Service Framework, due out in September.
As part of its "key public service measures", the government's review on child poverty provides for "extending coverage of CAMHS services to all 16- and 17-year-olds and continued progress on the CAMHS public spending agreement targets".
Dinah Morley, acting chair of national charity Young Minds, said it was the first serious indication from the Government that it was planning to extend the age range.
She said: "At the moment in most places CAMHS finish at 16, though some do cover slightly older young people. Hopefully, this will allow services to plan a step-by-step approach to 18."
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