Neurodiversity waits 'cut to around one year' after £4m investment, says Manx Care

Children’s mental health transformation programme reaches final stage following two-year review of waiting lists

Manx Care says a major transformation of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has reached its final stage, following a cash injection of just over £4 million aimed at reducing waiting times and improving access to support.

The funding was intended to ‘tackle lengthy delays for assessment and treatment, strengthen early intervention, and improve access to psychological support’ for children and young people on the Island.

At the start of the programme, 819 young people were on the CAMHS waiting list, with some facing waits of up to two and a half years for neurodiverse assessments.

Manx Care says all 819 were contacted as part of the review process.

Of those, 616 - received assessments.

A further 213 were referred to alternative services, including a newly established pathway.

Overall, 703 young people have either been discharged or are now actively receiving treatment.

Manx Care says this has reduced waiting times for routine neurodiversity assessments from two and a half years to around one year.

It notes that in some parts of the UK, average waits for ADHD assessments are reported to be around four years, and around two and a half years for autism assessments.

The health body claims a key part of the transformation has been the introduction of ‘Talk’, a single point of access for young people with mild to moderate mental health needs, operated in partnership with the mental health charity Isle Listen.

Since launching in June 2025, Talk has received 906 referrals.

Of those, 403 were accepted by the service, 296 were referred to CAMHS, 63 were signposted elsewhere, and 71 were already receiving CAMHS support. 73 referrals were described as duplicate, incomplete or inappropriate.

Manx Care says Talk has achieved an average referral-to-assessment time of six days, and nine days from assessment to allocation of a treatment pathway.

The CAMHS waiting list project concluded in January 2026, while the Talk service will continue.

Manx Care says the programme has resulted in faster access to assessments and treatment, clearer pathways for those with lower-level needs, and fewer young people waiting for support.