England ‘a decade away from decent youth mental care’

A “CHASM” exists between the mental health care youngsters need and what is available, the Children’s Commissioner for England has warned.

England is still a decade away from offering a decent service to the nation’s children, according to Anne Longfield, inset. Ina new report, she argues that while progress has been made, with extra cash pumped into mental health services for children, significantly more is spent on supporting adults.

The NHS spends, on average, £225 on mental health care for adults, compared to £92 for every child, the report says.

Ms Longfield, of Otley, said: “There has been welcome progress on children’s mental health services over the last couple of years and more progress is promised over the next few years.

“Nevertheless, there is still a chasm between what children need and what is being provided. More children are seeking help for their mental health and the Government need to make sure that help is available.

“We are still a decade away from a decent mental health service for all children.”

The Children’s Commissioner’s annual report on mental health says that in 2018/19 an extra £50 million in real terms was invested in specialist children’s community-based mental health services and an additional 53,000 youngsters started treatment.

But it goes on to say that many youngsters face a postcode lottery in whether they receive treatment, and how long they wait. On average, youngsters wait 53 days – just under eight weeks – to start treatment, the report found, down slightly from 57 days in 2017/18.

Waiting times are shorter for eating disorders, where a target has been introduced, the report notes.

Overall waiting times for mental health services vary by area, it says. Mental Health Minister Nadine Dorries said: “As the Children’s Commissioner highlights, major improvements to children and young people’s mental health care are already well under way, driving forward progress so every child can access the high-quality care they need and deserve.

“Spending on children’s mental health is growing faster than spending overall in the NHS, backed by an extra £2.3bn investment in mental health per year. We’re rolling out dedicated mental health support teams in schools and trialling four-week waiting times in the NHS.