Mental health referrals for young people and children in Newcastle and Gateshead have increased by more than 50% from 2021 to 2023, after a "tsunami" of referrals post Covid.
Newcastle and Gateshead's 'Single Point of Access' (SPA), has seen the number of young people referred to their mental health triage service increase from 3,896 in 2020 to 5,972 in 2023. Many of these children and young people are subsequently waiting over 18 weeks to be referred to the most appropriate form of mental health support.
Figures presented to councillors in Gateshead Civic Centre on Thursday afternoon show just under 1,500 young people are awaiting neurodevelopmental referrals for conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
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To help with demand, the Toby Henderson Trust has been commissioned to deliver 187 mental health assessments and Psychiatry UK has been asked to deliver 90 Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder assessments.
A representative for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Anna English, did acknowledge "failures in the system" but did suggest other factors may be at play for the high level of referrals.
Ms English said: "I will just say lots of children and young people were robbed of an opportunity during Covid. They were not going out, going to nursery, they were not socialising normally. They didn't get the same interaction they would normally get and therefore they have presented with a range of problems which look very much like ADHD in terms of an inability to settle.
"There is a huge wave of media coverage on Autism and ADHD and parents are panicking. Their children may be language delayed, behaviour causing trouble at school not interacting with their peers right.
"Actually they may just need some additional support in terms of how to socialise, and they may be waiting quite a long time for that."
In addition, Ms English commented that children living in households with domestic violence may also present challenging behaviour resembling ADHD as a result of trauma.
The Newcastle and Gateshead SPA's role and function will be reviewed later this year.
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