Thousands of youth mental health cases turned away

of children in Wales have been rejected for NHS mental health services during the past two years, the NSPCC has revealed.

A total of 9,000 children were turned away from specialist help across six health boards from 2015 to 2017, figures from a Freedom of Information request show.

Across Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, 3,322 referrals were received by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) compared to 5,584 from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board.

Of those, 799 cases were not accepted by CAMHS, which also covers referrals from the Cwm Taf University Health Board.

Across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board 3,955 referrals for under-18s were assessed and rejected – more than half of referrals in the area covering Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Caerphilly.

Des Mannion, head of NSPCC Cymru, said “too many” children are unable to receive help and support to help them recover.

He said: “We recognise the hard work of mental health professionals in trying to help young people get their lives back on track.

“This is a desperately sad situation for thousands of children and their families. Early intervention is key.”

A spokesman for CAMHS said: “Each year our clinical teams assess thousands of referrals. Each request is carefully considered and we will always look at the needs of patients and their families, clinical evidence and outcomes to ensure we provide the right service for them.”