In recent years there has been progress in improving mental health services, including significant investment. However, many trust leaders have expressed their concern about how long children and young people are currently waiting for care, reporting large increases in demand for mental health services. NHS Providers submitted evidence to the ongoing Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into children and young people’s mental health services.

Key findings include:

• 100% of mental health trust leaders said that the demand their trust/local systems is experiencing for CYP services is significantly (80%) or moderately (20%) increasing compared to six months ago.
• 85% of trust leaders said they could not meet demand for CYP eating disorder services – the highest result across all services.
• Two thirds of trusts leaders said they are not able to meet demand for community CAMHS (66%) and inpatient CAMHS services (65%).
• 84% of trust leaders said the amount of time children and young people are currently having to wait to access treatment for services is significantly (25%) or moderately (59%) increasing compared to waiting times six months ago.
• 78% of trust leaders said they are extremely (47%) or moderately (31%) concerned about their trust/local system(s) ability to meet the level of anticipated demand within the next 12-18 months for mental health care amongst children and young people.
• 83% of trust leaders are extremely (37%) or moderately (47%) concerned about staff wellbeing and current levels of stress and burnout across their CYP services workforce.