Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the proportion of children and young people referred to NHS mental health services who (a) receive no contact from services and (b) have their referrals closed by services without receiving treatment.

Not all children and young people referred to a mental health service will want or benefit from such treatment. Many will have their needs better met through other services such as education, children’s services or self-care. In addition, some referrals with no contacts recorded may be duplicate referrals or relate to other aspects of data quality.

During 2020/21, 420,000 children and young people were treated through National Health Service-commissioned community services. This is approximately 39.6% of children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition, exceeding the target of 35%.

By 2023/24, an additional 345,000 children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old, will have access to NHS-funded support each year, including from mental health support teams in schools and colleges.