Funding safeguard removed
Plans to tackle lengthy waits for children’s mental health support are at risk after a requirement for additional investment in young people’s services was removed, according to The King’s Fund. The change applies to this year’s Mental Health Investment Standard, which previously required spending on children and young people’s mental health to rise by more than the overall rate for mental health services.
The additional provision was introduced against a background of longstanding underinvestment. Its removal does not necessarily mean that funding will fall, but the think tank said it leaves children’s services more exposed as NHS organisations face competing pressures. Integrated care boards with limited finances are having to make difficult choices, increasing uncertainty over whether planned improvements can be sustained.
Waiting lists remain extensive
The warning comes as the scale of delayed access remains substantial. The King’s Fund said at least 175,846 children had been waiting for more than two years to see a specialist. That is an increase of almost 50,000 compared with the 126,677 children recorded as facing waits of that length in April 2024.
| Measure | Number or proportion |
|---|---|
| Children waiting over two years for specialist care | 175,846 |
| Children in that position in April 2024 | 126,677 |
| Still waiting one year after referral to community services | 51% |
| Still waiting after more than two years | 30% |
Separate figures cited by the organisation indicate that just over half of children referred to community mental health services remain without care after a year. Nearly a third are still waiting beyond two years. Such delays occur during a period when emotional wellbeing, education and development can be particularly vulnerable to disruption, with possible consequences that continue into adult life, the think tank said.
Government commitments under pressure
The Government has said it wants to end the experience of young people facing prolonged waits as they grow up. The Prime Minister has stated that they should no longer face
“long waits anymore for mental health support growing up”
To support that ambition, ministers have committed to recruiting 8,500 additional mental health staff. The programme also includes wider provision through mental health support teams in schools and assistance delivered by Young Futures Hubs. These measures are intended to broaden access and reduce reliance on specialist services, although the source material does not provide a timetable for achieving the staffing or access commitments.
The King’s Fund said the objectives would depend on services continuing to receive sufficient investment. It called for children’s mental health provision to be given priority, arguing that the removal of the extra funding expectation could weaken delivery of the Government’s waiting-time pledge. The issue is therefore not only the number of staff being recruited, but whether local services have the resources needed to retain capacity and respond to demand.
Pressure visible in emergency care
In September, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health warned that increasing numbers of children and young people were arriving at accident and emergency departments with mental health concerns because other routes to help were unavailable. The college described the situation as a national concern. The warning adds to the policy pressure surrounding access to earlier and more appropriate support, particularly while large numbers remain on specialist waiting lists.
The figures underline the distance between national commitments and the experience of families awaiting assessment or treatment. With the targeted funding requirement no longer in place, the King’s Fund said the Government must ensure that children’s services are not displaced by other financial demands. The test will be whether the promised expansion of staffing, school-based support and Young Futures Hubs is matched by reliable investment in the services responsible for delivering care.
