Long waits for NHS mental health care have ‘major consequences for children’s life chances’
One in three child and adolescent psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, according to a ‘shocking’ analysis that exposes the staffing crisis that experts say is fueling ‘unacceptably’ long waiting times for NHS care. Dr. Elaine Lockharta pediatric liaison psychiatrist working in NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), describes the frustrating but rewarding daily struggle to meet rising demand and help those most in need.
At a time when children’s mental health should be a public policy priority, waiting times for mental health care for children and adolescents are unacceptably long. Some children wait more than two years for treatment. And that delay can have major consequences for their mental health and their life chances.
Some of our most vulnerable children find themselves in crisis and in need of urgent referrals and emergency care, when months earlier they should have been treated effectively and enjoyed what they will miss: their childhood.
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, it is very frustrating to see children so ill that they require emergency care, when we know that early intervention and treatment can change their lives and prevent their illness from worsening.
Late and delayed treatment has many unwanted and disturbing consequences for their lives. Take a child with untreated anxiety – something that can be distressing and painful for anyone. The very activities and pleasures of childhood that should protect them, enrich their lives and provide resilience are beginning to disappear.
Friendships become harder to maintain, missing school can lead to isolation and they can fall behind in their learning, causing further anxiety and affecting their development. Missing out on everyday life adds to their difficulties and can make them feel even more unwell.
You have to wonder why, when the urge to protect our youngest in society is so instinctive and overwhelming, the resources haven’t already been put in place to reduce waiting lists and recruit more psychiatrists?
I am often asked what it is like to be a psychiatrist. Like most of my colleagues in the profession, I can honestly say that it is a wonderful job and a privilege to work with children and young people.
My job is to understand the whole child, the broader context of the family and the environment in which they live. It’s incredibly interesting, engaging and highly collaborative work.
Our best work consists of a multidisciplinary team of highly motivated, skilled colleagues, which I have been fortunate to work with throughout my career as a consultant. I learn something new every day from the children and families I work with. Seeing young people recover and flourish thanks to my input is very motivating and satisfying.
Imagine what we could achieve with the right resources and funding to build a mental health system that is fit for today’s children and young people. Prevention and early intervention would be an everyday reality instead of a hopeful future, and crisis referrals for children would be rare, instead of being so common now.