THE number of children and young people referred to mental health services in Cheshire soared in the 12 months before Covid-19 hit the county.

New NHS figures show a huge increase in the number of people aged under 18 who were referred to mental health services rose by as much as 139 per cent from 2018-19 to 2019-20 in some areas.

The figures are based on the old NHS clinical commissioning group (CCG) areas – with Northwich and Winsford in Vale Royal, Middlewich in South Cheshire, and Knutsford and Wilmslow in Eastern Cheshire.

South Cheshire saw the biggest rise in demand for mental health services among children – up from 595 referrals in 2018-19 to 1,425 in 2019-20 – an increase of 139 per cent.

Demand also rose sharply in Vale Royal, from 460 in 2018-19 to 1,075 in 2019-20, an increase of 134 per cent.

The increase of 78 per cent was lower in Eastern Cheshire – but the area began at a much higher starting point, rising from 1,220 referrals in 2018-19 to 2,175 in 2019-20.

Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, said: “Even before the Covid pandemic, we faced an epidemic of children’s mental health problems in England and a children’s mental health service that, though improving significantly, was still unable to provide the help hundreds of thousands of children required.

“The Government’s plans must include a rocket boost in funding for children’s mental health, to expand services and eliminate the postcode lottery.

“As an absolute minimum, all schools should be provided with an NHS-funded counsellor, either in school or online.”

NHS data also shows that children had to wait longer for an appointment in Eastern Cheshire than in other areas of the county and the old CCG was spending more per child on mental health services – although the whole area is now covered by a single CCG, so this may no longer be the case.

Across England, 538,564 under-18s were referred to mental health services in 2019-20, 35 per cent more than the previous year.

Cllr Judith Blake, chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “The pandemic has exacerbated existing mental health problems, particularly for children living in families with lower incomes and whose parents may be experiencing financial difficulties.

“Local councils have a vital role in helping children have mentally healthy childhoods and mental health needs to be at the heart of a holistic approach to overall health and wellbeing.

“Supporting children early on to reduce the need for clinical interventions means more can receive help when they need it, rather than waiting until they are unwell.

“It is vital that effective and evidence-based mental health and wellbeing services and statutory mental health services for children are able to meet existing, new and unmet demand that has built up during the pandemic.”

If you, or anyone you know, is in a mental health crisis, please call the CWP urgent mental health helpline on 0800 145 6485.

Other support services can be found at cwp.nhs.uk/contact/need-urgent-help

If you are struggling and need to reach out, the Samaritans are there to listen 24 hours a day, by calling 116 123.