23 per cent of under 18s turned away from mental health services

23 per cent of children and teenagers under the age of 18 are turned away from mental health services, according to a new report from think tank CentreForum.

The state of the nation report found that young people who had their referral accepted, still often faced long waits for treatment, with some waiting up to 10 months to start treatment. CentreForum found significant variation in waiting times across the country, with waits in North West London varying from two months in Kensington and Chelsea, to nearly six months in Brent.

The think tanks’s analysis of eligibility criteria shows that services often have very high thresholds, which prevents early intervention in a lot of cases.

It also found wide variation in spending in different regions, with a higher expenditure in the North of England compared to the South and East. It warns that this could lead to a potential capacity problem, as demand is currently higher in the South and the East.

Former Mental Health Minister Norman Lamb, who chaired the inquiry, said: "This is a scandal which has existed for too long. It is unacceptable.

"If we are to finally achieve equality between physical and mental health, as the government has argued for, these shortcomings must be addressed urgently."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We are delivering on our commitments on young people's mental health. £1.4 billion will be made available as promised over the next five years, funding the biggest transformation the sector has ever seen."