The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a new report which shows an increasing number of people are in need of vital mental health support.
It highlights that young people in particular are struggling to access care and are therefore at risk of developing more severe and chronic illnesses.
Responding to the findings, Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Adolescent Faculty, said:
"We’ve seen a notable rise in the number of children and young people who have a mental illness in recent years. There were nearly one million referrals to child and adolescent mental health services in England in 2023/24, up by 141% since the pandemic.
"Many young people are having to wait months for an assessment and can find it particularly difficult to access care as they transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health services. Delays can often exacerbate a young person’s illness and contribute to them reaching a crisis point.
"Children who receive support quickly are less likely to develop a long-term condition which affects their education, social development and health in later life. However, services are struggling to provide this essential care due to chronic staff shortages and soaring demand.
"The Government must invest in early intervention and ensure services have the resources they need to bring down waiting lists. Particularly important is the expansion and improvement of services for age groups that often fall through the cracks of specialist provision, such as young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years.
"Autistic children and young people also often face unacceptably long waiting times for assessments which contribute to delays in care. The absence of this support can have a significant impact on their education and personal lives.
"Investment in NHS autism services is needed to help improve diagnostic capacity and post-diagnostic support. Vital to this is ensuring services are properly staffed and equipped to offer young people timely care."
For further information, please contact:
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