Children in Surrey 'waiting months' for mental health support

Healthwatch Surrey said some youngsters waited months for mental health support

A mental health trust has apologised for the "distress" caused by the long waiting times for children needing help and support with problems.

Concerns about the access to mental health services offered by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have been raised by the watchdog.

Healthwatch Surrey said some young people were having to wait more than seven months for assistance.

The trust said it was addressing the issues raised with it.

Its clinical lead and consultant child psychiatrist, Dr Phil Ferreira-Lay, said: "I'd like to apologise to the children and young people and parents who have experienced distress because of the waiting times of some of our services."

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Earlier this month, Healthwatch Surrey raised its concerns at a meeting of Surrey County Council.

'No confidence'

Evidence and insight manager, Matthew Parris, told councillors that £2.3m of additional investment two years ago was meant to have addressed the issue of children getting timely access to support with mental health.

"This additional investment, representing a 30% increase in funding, has not resolved the issue and so what confidence can local people have that the problem will now be addressed?" he asked.

The watchdog has asked the trust, which runs the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), to put together an action plan about how it is going to specifically address waiting times.

It will have to report back to the council's Children and Education Select Committee when it meets on 20 February.

A Surrey County Council spokesman said the trust was not "performing to required standards".

"We recognise there have been some unacceptably long wait times for many children, although in some services, particularly for high-need groups, there are no waits.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will expect performance to improve," he said.