An extra £25million has been allocated to CCGs across the country to improve mental health services for children and young people.
The increased funding is expected to help cut waiting times for treatment, reduce waiting list backlogs and minimise the length of stay for those in inpatient care.
In order to secure release of the additional £25million from NHS England, CCGs will be asked to provide details of how they intend to improve average waiting times for treatment by March 2017.
'This additional funding is evidence that improving mental health services is an absolute priority for the NHS,' said Clare Murdoch, NHS England's national director for mental health. 'We hope this year to see some real headway being made on ensuring that children and young people with mental health needs are seen and treated as quickly and as close to home as possible.'
it is expected that this funding will also support CCGs to continue to invest in staff training and liaison and home treatment interventions suitable for under 18s with the goal to minimise inappropriate admissions to in-patient, paediatric or adult mental health wards. CCGs are free to pool this funding across NHS organisations in their area to help deliver local transformation plans for mental health as well as sustainability and transformation plans.
This year £149million was awarded to CCGs following a commitment by the government to improve mental health conditions for children and young people in the 2014 Autumn Statement and the 2015 Spring Budget.