Mental health referrals for young people reach all-time high
Related: Children’s minister Josh MacAlister notes ‘big variations’ in mental health diagnoses across UK
Record numbers of children and young people were referred to mental health services in March, with 932,822 under-18s having an active referral and 134,837 new referrals, both monthly highs.
The charity YoungMinds, which analysed NHS England data, warned these figures highlight a “mental health emergency” facing youngsters.
New referrals increased by 11 per cent from February and 2 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Waiting times for these services reached unprecedented levels, with the average wait exceeding 300 days for the eighth consecutive month, standing at 301 days in March.
In the most severe cases, young people faced waits of over two-and-a-half years, or 1,006 days, marking another record high.
