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<p>Since 2018, we have invested an extra £2.3 billion a year to expand mental health
services in England, with the aim of enabling two million more people, including 345,000
more children and young people to access mental health support.</p><p>We’re rolling
out mental health support teams to schools and colleges. These now cover approximately
35% of pupils and are expected to reach 50% of pupils by March 2025. NHS England is
also developing a new waiting time standard for children and their families to receive
community-based mental health care within four weeks of referral.</p><p>Whilst the
relevant data is not available at a constituency level, the following table shows
the number of referrals for children and young people aged under 18 years old, supported
through National Health Service-funded mental health, and waiting times for first
contact between September and November 2023 for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated
Care Board (ICB), North West Commissioning Region, and England:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Location</p></td><td><p>Number
of referrals</p></td><td><p>Median waiting time between referral start date and first
contact</p></td><td><p>90th percentile waiting time between referral start date and
first contact</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB</p></td><td><p>8,550</p></td><td><p>21
days</p></td><td><p>469 days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West Commissioning Region</p></td><td><p>26,125</p></td><td><p>11
days</p></td><td><p>250 days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>179,295</p></td><td><p>13
days</p></td><td><p>225 days</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: Mental Health
Services Data Set, NHS England</p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>These metrics are in line with
the proposed new waiting time standards for mental health but are not yet associated
with a target, due to significant data quality concerns on the part of NHS England.</li></ol><p>The
90th percentile waiting time was 469 days meaning 10% of children and young people
who received a first contact in this period waited over 469 days.</p>
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