Child mental health referrals rejected

CAMHS referrals are rising across the North East and Cumbria

Half of the referrals to a trust's children's mental health services resulted in no treatment last year, according to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

Children were discharged after no more than one appointment in over 7,000 cases considered by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust in 2023.

The trust said child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) often received referrals more suited to other services.

Some parents told the BBC their children are not receiving the help they need.

Struggling

The data reveals a steep rise in demand for CAMHS.

Referrals handled by the trust increased by 45% since 2019 - and in each year since then, more than half of those referred were not accepted for treatment.

The trust said some people may have been directed to other services, or may not have required further treatment.

BBC News spoke to parents in the region, who said their children were struggling because of an inability to access support.

One father from Cumbria said he sought help for his stepson, who had been physically and emotionally abused.

He said: "He struggles with anxious situations. He struggles to sleep. He has nightmares.

"He struggles on a day-to-day basis because of what he's been put through."

A referral to CAMHS was reportedly made following a phone assessment with a child psychiatrist.

However, CAMHS allegedly said there was not enough evidence the young person needed the service's help.

Signposting

Ramona Duguid, chief operating officer at the trust, said specialist services often received referrals for children who could be better helped by "other services and organisations".

“We often work closely with these other services, and where a referral is more appropriate for a different service, our teams do their best to signpost people to access the right help and support as soon as possible,” she said.

The trust said it did not discuss individual cases, but encouraged people to contact it directly to provide feedback.