Children needing mental health care are forced to endure waits of up to 18 month for treatment while four in 10 psychiatric services for young people are failing, according to the health service regulator. “Without a doubt, after years of drought, the NHS’s mental health funding taps have now been turned on,” she said. The shadow mental health minister, Barbara Keeley, called the findings “a scandal”, which was the result of government neglect. Charities and local authorities said the findings showed the urgency of the need for shake-up of mental health care. The charity’s own research found 30,000 children being turned away from mental health services every year and not receiving any support or treatment.

Source: The Guardian October 26, 2017 22:52 UTC