Forbes March 15, 2024
Tens of thousands of kids are waiting two years or more for mental health support in England, officials have revealed.
Some 40,000 children and young people endured these lengthy waits last year after being referred for specialist care, often after seeing family doctors or other health professionals.
Demand for services is high, with nearly 1 million kids seeking mental health support in the 2022/2023 financial year. That’s around 8% of England’s 11.9 million children.
But provision is patchy, with kids in certain parts of the country facing much longer waits than others. Children in the northern city of Sunderland waited an average of 147 days for support, compared with a national average of 35 days.
In Southend in the southeastern...
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