This week, Munira met with Health Minister Ed Argar to urge the Government to publish more information on waiting times and spending towards Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Currently, no information is published publicly on waiting times for many different types of CAMHS services. The data that is published towards how much is spent on CAMHS can also be opaque.

In the meeting, Munira argued that this lack of information makes it difficult for people to see where the problems lie in CAMHS. The Minister agreed to look into the matter further.

Following the meeting, Munira said:

“I know from the parents and children I speak to that far too many young people have been waiting too long to access the mental health support they need. In some cases, children are having to wait well over a year, which can have a further negative impact on their mental health. This is simply not good enough.

“Yet because the Government doesn’t publish information on basic performance measures such as waiting times or spending on services, we have no idea what the scale of the problem is.

“Transparency is absolutely critical for identifying where the problems within services lie. I welcome the Minister’s commitment to look into this issue further, but we must see action behind his warm words. I will continue to push for change so that no child goes without the support they deserve.”