"CAMHS service in North Tyneside"

Our experience of trying to access CAMHS service since January has been as follows:

1. CAMHS North Tyneside told me they are so under-resourced that they routinely fail to meet the NICE Guidelines re. treatment of child mental health conditions - they can’t meet suggested treatment times even when they are aware of a likely diagnosis which significantly raises suicide risk.

2. They said they have loads of young people they know they should see but can't - so they prioritise young people who state a ‘current intention to act’ on suicidal thoughts - which sounds quite logical except that this is in most cases an unreliable basis on which to assess suicide risk.

3. Mental health problems frequently emerge at around age 16 - CAMHS covers up to age 18.

They told me this was ‘all a bit political' and that teens often wait so long to be seen that they're too old for CAMHS before they got any treatment at all.

They would then be re-referred as a new patient to adult services, right at the back of the queue.

i.e. would wait longer than an adult to be seen.

4. I am guessing CAMH’s conclude that these children which they never get around to treating, if they’ve survived a wait of over a year, then they can cope.

The alarming rise in UK student suicides might suggest otherwise though.

In summary, we've had no help, been waiting 6 months since we asked the GP for referral.

Still have no timescale for if or when we might get any help from the NHS.