Child mental health services to get £4m boost

There are currently about 1,200 children on the waiting list for an assessment

Children waiting to access mental health services on the Isle of Man should benefit from a cash injection to bring down waiting lists, the health department has said.

About 1,200 children are currently on the waiting list to see the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS), the majority awaiting assessments for neurodevelopmental disorders.

About £500,000 will be spent on six new roles to assist with assessing autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and provide post-diagnosis support.

A further £3.4m would be spent on creating a new focus on early intervention, community based support and a dedicated provision within school sand colleges.

Lawrie Hooper said the changes should prevent "unacceptable" waiting times

The number of children requiring a mental health assessment has soared in recent years.

The cash boost is designed to reduce waiting times to a maximum of 18 weeks to access a routine assessment with CAMHS, down from the current average of 48.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper said access to support and treatment was "crucial for our children and young people".

He said the reduction in waiting lists would "help transform the service to ensure children are no longer facing unacceptably long waiting times to access mental health support and treatment".

The changes would include the creation of a single access point, to include self-referrals, access to psychological therapies for young people with moderate needs, and dedicated mental health support in secondary schools and University College Isle of Man.

Head of integrated mental health services at Manx Care Ross Bailey said the funding would have a "hugely positive impact on our ability to provide the services that our community needs".

Provided the recruitment process was successful, the programme would reduce waiting lists and ensure the mental health needs of young people were "identified and appropriately responded to earlier".