Dramatic drop in appointment rates for children's mental health services

The proportion of youngsters getting an appointment within a year of being referred to the Island's mental health service has almost halved in the past five years.

A Freedom of Information request to Manx Care asked for details about the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service waiting list.

In 2019, more than two-thirds of those referred had an appointment within 12 months - however last year that figure had dropped to just 35 per cent.

The figures show the number of referrals each year has risen from 601 in 2019 to 768 in 2023.