Suicidal kids 'waiting 4 years for NHS help' as expert issues harrowing warning
Vulnerable children who are suicidal, severely depressed or suffering from eating disorders are facing NHS wait times of up to four years, desperate parents have claimed.
As a leading psychiatrist warns that child mental health illness is becoming the new norm, NHS figures have shown that children and young people are waiting up to two years to be seen. However, the Mirror has spoken to parents who claim they waited almost double that time.
Janine McDonald's daughter is now 14 but first started to suffer severe mental wellbeing challenges four years ago during lockdown. She'll never forget how angry and helpless she felt when she phoned the NHS' Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in desperation, only to allegedly be told "well, it doesn't sound like she's going to kill herself today."
“I was on my own, which as a single parent was really tough,” Janine, who is based near Manchester and runs a decluttering service, recalls. “We were told we were being seen as a priority under a trial study, but we still waited three and a half years to be seen by CAMHS.
“Her school receives funding for 12 referrals per year to the neuro pathway but they currently have over 50 referrals waiting. My daughter was feeling so alone - she thought that no-one cared about her. The system is not fit for purpose.”
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Latest figures from the Royal College of Psychiatrists show a staggering rise of 53% of children and young people under 18 needing emergency care from mental health services (CAMHS) over the last four years.
Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Adolescent Faculty, says it's "unacceptable that so many children and young people are reaching crisis point before they are able to access care. We cannot allow childhood mental illness to become the new norm."
Around half of mental health conditions arise in children before the age of 14 and three quarters before the age of 24 - but experts say many of these issues could be prevented if treated early. Delays in treating children and young adults could lead to long-term conditions, negatively affecting their education, social development and health in later life.
According to recently reported NHSE data, under-18s who are waiting for a follow-up after a GP’s referral have already waited an average of five months, and in the worst case, almost two years.
Kate Hoyle's daughter was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression when she was 12 but had to wait 18 months to be seen by a professional mental health worker at CAMHS. During that time she was absent from school for a prolonged period and developed an eating disorder.
“When your child is struggling, you don’t know how you are going to get through the next 18 hours, let alone the next 18 months,” Kate, who has since retrained to be a therapist, says. “The service is not fit for purpose. I worry for those children who don’t meet the excessively high threshold for referral - they are completely slipping through the net.”
Georgina Durrant, author of SEND Strategies for the Primary Years said waiting times for children and young people’s mental health services are 'appaling'. “It's largely dependent on the area of the country the child lives in, so it's a bit of a postcode lottery and also dependent on the reason for needing to access their services,” she explains.
“For an autism assessment via CAMHS for example, some families are waiting 18 months, others four years plus. Not only is the wait time appalling for children with SEND, for example those waiting for autism assessments, but the threshold to be seen in many areas for children is too high."
Georgina tells The Mirror she speaks to families with children who are suicidal or so anxious they can’t leave the house who are still waiting months to be seen. “It's dangerous to leave children this long on waiting lists to be seen. How can we have children who are expressing suicidal thoughts having to wait months to be seen? It's appalling.
“There needs to be a commitment to properly and sufficiently fund CAMHS so that children aren't sat on these waiting lists for these long periods of time." While there's very little parents can do about waiting times, she says there are some things parents can do to stay proactive. “Speak to your child's teacher with concerns, talk to the school's SENDCO, and make an appointment with your child's GP as soon as you notice any concerns.”
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Last year, the Tories invested an extra £5 million into improving access to existing Early Support Hubs for young people aged 11 to 25. However, the Royal College of Psychiatrists says millions of pounds more investment is required to establish these hubs in every local authority, so that everyone can have access to mental health support no matter where they live in the UK.
Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the college adds that it will save the Government money in the long run because “Investing in children’s mental health will ultimately free up NHS time and resources, while ensuring the country has a healthy and productive population in the years to come.”
A Department of Health spokesman told the Mirror: "We are determined to support children and young people with their mental health, which is why we are investing an additional £2.3billion a year into NHS mental health services."
But for many parents it's too little too late.
One mum from London, who does not want to be named, says her son, who was diagnosed with autism just before he left primary school, was never given enough support. Now that he’s 18, they’ve given up and he has to muddle through with the help of his family.
“I’m frazzled from dealing with it all,” she said. “It’s a full time job chasing up your case with the health professionals to make sure you haven’t been lost in the system. It’s really stressful but we are the lucky ones. My friend lost her child who had just turned 18 to suicide while the family was begging for support. I can’t begin to imagine how that feels.”
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch.
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