Working hard to increase their support

Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group is taking steps to tackle long waiting times for mental health services.

Chief nurse Paula Wilkins, pictured, said: “There has been an increase in demand for children and young people’s mental health services across the country during the pandemic and unfortunately some children and young people have had to wait to get the help they need.”

Responding to concerns over “lacking” NHS mental health services in the county, she says the CCG has been “working hard to increase the amount of support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing”.

“For example, we are addressing waiting times, for some services, by increasing the number of people to help a child or young person when they are experiencing a crisis, we’re making more online services available and we’re increasing face-to-face support in schools and colleges,” she said.

“We have already delivered a booklet to every home in Kent and Medway to provide information about where to go to get support for mental wellbeing during the pandemic.”

She adds that every case of suicide involving a child or young person is reviewed by the CCG, “to try and prevent further such tragedies”.

“As the circumstances behind every individual life lost to suicide are different and varied it is vital that there is a co-ordinated response from the NHS, local authorities and the voluntary and community sector,” she said.

“Although the numbers of suicides among children and young people remain very low, we are continuing to consider the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and young people’s mental wellbeing and how we can provide the support needed.”