Huge increase in children needing mental health help
NHS digital data shows that in 2019/20, there were 2,355 under-18s referred to mental health services in the NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group area – a 28% increase on the previous year, when 1,835 children were referred.
However, children are waiting less time to access treatment – the average number of waiting days has fallen from 90 to 75.
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Hide AdThe data also shows that NHS South Tyneside CCG spent around £120 per child on mental health services – the national average is £66.
The Children’s Commissioner is urging the Government to introduce an NHS-funded counsellor for every school – fearing that thousands of children are being left without support and that the problem will get worse because of the effects of the pandemic
Anne Longfield says there is a lack of ambition in improving children’s mental health services.
She said: “Even before the Covid pandemic, we faced an epidemic of children’s mental health problems and a children’s mental health service that, though improving significantly, was still unable to provide the help hundreds of thousands of children required.
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Hide Ad“The Government’s plans must include a rocket boost in funding for children’s mental health, to expand services.
"As an absolute minimum, all schools should be provided with an NHS-funded counsellor, either in school or online.”
Nationally, 538,564 under-18s were referred to mental health services in 2019/20 - 35% more than the previous year.