Peterborough health trust says more children are now receiving help for mental health problems

Bosses at the NHS trust responsible for mental health say action is being taken to help a record number of children and young people in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire seeking help.

The Covid-19 pandemic with its lockdowns and social isolation have been blamed for the surge in young people locally asking for support to deal with mental health issues.

And officials of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, which provides community, mental health and learning disability services across the county, say more young people are now getting the support required.

Their comments come after new figures from NHS Digital showed that across the region, 7,200 children referred by a GP or other health professional during the 12 months to last May, were still waiting to be seen by mental health support staff.

Over the same period, 10,825 children and young people had at least one contact with mental health services in the NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough clinical commissioning group area – up from 10,595 in April.

And of these youngsters, 6,480 in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were still in touch with mental health services by the end of May.

A spokesman for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust said: “The launch of YOUnited just over a year ago – the partnership involving CPFT, Cambridgeshire Community Services, Centre 33 and Ormiston Families – has led to an increased number of children and young people getting the support they need.

He added: “There has been a rise in the number of children and young people seeking help for their mental health – much of which has been a result of the pandemic which has had a significant impact on their wellbeing.”

Olly Parker, head of external affairs for children's mental health charity YoungMinds, said: “The pandemic has certainly deepened the crisis in young people’s mental health, with huge disruption to students’ education, many of whom were also dealing with multiple pressures like difficult home environments, bereavement and other trauma.”