NHS CAMHS
Exacerbated by the isolation and uncertainty experienced during the pandemic, there has been a notable increase in the number of children requiring assistance for mental health issues. As CAMHS faces challenges in addressing the backlog, a heightened threshold was introduced in 2021-22, effectively restricting access for 60% of children lingering on waiting lists. Presently, the criteria for treatment have been elevated to a degree where children must be in a severe condition to be deemed “ill enough,” potentially pushing more children to critical points that could have been mitigated with earlier intervention.
