NEARLY 20,000 children referred to local mental health services were rejected for treatment in the last two years.

Figures released by national charity NSPCC show that from a total of 57,385 cases referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the south east in 2015-2017, 19,940 children were turned away.

And those that were assessed in Hampshire had to wait an average of around 10 weeks - compared to the national average waiting time of eight weeks.

But it comes as the charity reports a record number of counselling sessions delivered through Childline, with the service carrying out 67,622 sessions across the UK in 2016-2017.

Now the NSPCC is calling on central government to focus on early intervention to reduce the numbers of children who reach crisis point to ensure that young people’s mental health does not have to reach crisis point before they are able to get help.

Mental and emotional health is now the most common reason for a child to contact Childline.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive, said: “It is desperately sad to see so many young people facing distress around mental health issues being forced to wait months for assessment by CAMHS, many of whom are then rejected for treatment altogether. This risks leaving them in limbo while their condition potentially reaches crisis point.

“We recognise the hard work of mental health professionals in trying to help young people get their lives back on track. However, too many children who need help are struggling to access support and treatment which can help them to recover. The government’s upcoming Green Paper on mental health must urgently evaluate the early support systems available to young people to ensure that no child is left to suffer in silence.”

Previous NSPCC research has found that an increasing demand for services means many young people, including those who have suffered sexual abuse and neglect, do not meet the clinical threshold to access CAMHS and are turned away from treatment.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Early intervention is key to minimising the long-term impact of mental health. Research shows that half of mental health conditions experienced by adults first develop before the age of 15, with three in four cases present by the age of 18".

A spokesperson for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said the figures released cover Hampshire, Sussex and Kent for the 2015-2017 period. They added: "

“At the time the data was collected, Sussex Partnership was providing specialist mental health services for children and young people in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent and Medway.

"As a trust, we aim to provide the most appropriate service for the individual and their needs at that time. More people are now talking about mental health and emotional well-being in children and young people which is really positive but in doing so, the demand on services has increased and in the last few years, our specialist CAMHS service in Hampshire has seen an increase in referrals of 23%.

“In Hampshire, we are always trying to find ways to increase our capacity in order to see people more quickly and be more responsive to demand. We are also working with our clinical commissioning group partners to look at the different ways we can work with professionals who work with children and young people, so that they have the knowledge and confidence to address children’s mental health and emotional well-being issues. As a result, they will be able to help young people to get the support and treatment that they need much earlier, which will reduce the demand for more specialist intervention and services.”