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The number of children referred to mental health services for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD has increased by almost 30% despite not being mental health conditions, according to a new report from the Children’s Commissioner.
The annual report on the state of children’s mental health services found that children with suspected autism were facing some of the longest waits, with 64% still waiting for treatment at the end of the year in March 2024. The average waiting time was 223 days.
It also found that more than 958,200 children in England have an active referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) as of the end of March 2024, an increase of 10,000 from the previous year and equivalent to 8% of England’s population of 12 million children.
The common primary referral reason was anxiety, (16% – up slightly from 15% in 2022-23), followed by neurodevelopmental conditions excluding autism (11% – up from 9.2%), suspected autism (6.8% – up from 5.3%) and ‘in crisis’ (6.2% – up from 5.8%).
Inequalities in access to mental health services
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, has called for renewed focus and investment in children’s mental health services through the NHS 10-Year Plan.
She said: “The numbers in this report are staggering – but these are not numbers, these are real children who not only miss precious moments of their childhood while stuck waiting for vital treatment for months, sometimes years, but also the scaffolding that makes their lives happy and fulfilled with their friends.
“All too often, it is these children with unmet additional needs who go missing from education, falling off the radars of services and denied opportunities their peers take for granted. Children tell me they want to be in school – we must match this ambition they have for themselves and take preventative steps so that fewer children miss school for mental health-related reasons.”
The report also highlighted huge inequalities when it comes to accessing support, with some young people waiting up to 17 times longer than others, depending on where they live.
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On average, children in the ICB area of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland wait just six days for treatment, while children in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight wait up to 17 times longer: 103 days on average.
Spend per child referred varied widely by ICB, from as much as £2,513 in North-West London, to £548 in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Children with autism face some of the longest waits
The Children’s Commissioner is now recommending that the government urgently commission an independent review of diagnostic and post-diagnostic support for autistic children, so that whether they are referred for diagnostic assessment is not subject to a postcode lottery.
She is also calling for targeted investment in community-led therapeutic services, which are needed to reach children less likely to access NHS services, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled children, and children in care.
Sam Forrester, Policy and Parliamentary Officer at the National Autistic Society, said: “The Children’s Commissioner’s report reveals the extent to which autistic children continue to be failed by mental health and diagnosis services. Too many autistic children are reaching a crisis point in their mental health, due to long waiting times and poor access to support before and after diagnosis.
“Autistic children shouldn’t be languishing on waiting lists to get the help they need, and support shouldn’t depend on a postcode lottery. The Government must get a grip on the waiting times crisis by committing to urgent, ring-fenced funding for autism diagnosis services and post-diagnosis support.”
