Only a third of children with mental health disorders get treatment
JUST a third of youngsters with a suspected mental health disorder are able to get treatment, England's child watchdog has said.
Dame Rachel de Souza said average waiting times dropped from 43 to 32 days since 2019/2020, and NHS data suggests more youngsters are being accepted for treatment. But the Children's Commissioner's report said some were still waiting too long or being not accepted, with wide regional differences. Fewer were referred for treatment for the first time in four years, probably caused by the "disruption" of Covid.
Dame Rachel's Big Ask survey of more than 500,000 children said they were not asking for "rocket science" but someone to talk to when they need support and earlier access. She said: "I see improvements, and a focus on further improvements, but also there's still a long way to go."