Report: Analysis of NHS Digital Mental health services monthly statistics, Young Minds

What are the main points?
- The number of urgent referrals of children to crisis teams reached over 3000 in April, NHS England (NHSE) data shows. This is the first time on record that cases have surpassed this number in a single month.
- May 2023 saw this number rise to 3732, more than three times higher than in May 2019.
- The number of open referrals to CAMHS also reached a record high of 466,250 in May.
- The government’s scrapped mental health plan in favour of the Major Conditions Strategy has caused delays in action for young people’s mental health, says Young Minds.
EXPERT THOUGHT: Laura Bunt
Chief executive of Young Minds
‘These record-breaking figures should sound the alarm. They are indicative of a system that is broken and a government that has refused to listen to young people demanding change. We are now in a mental health emergency and the government must get a grip on the scale of this crisis. Behind these numbers are young people who urgently need support, dealing with a unique set of pressures for a generation growing up.’
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