ALMOST 200 children and teens in Oxfordshire have been waiting more than four months for mental health support.

Board papers for a meeting of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group today reveal that 976 young people are on the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting list at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Of these, 176 have waited for more than four months and 33 have been waiting for more than six.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman Charvy Narain said: “We always see 100 per cent of emergency and urgent CAMHS referrals on time, but sadly some less urgent cases having been facing longer waits.

“We have made real progress on this, including recently implementing a major change in service model, but there remains much more to be done.

“One particular area of focus is for children and young people waiting for an assessment for Autistic Spectrum Disorder, for whom we are looking to develop a new, dedicated service.”

At today’s meeting board members at OCCG will look at the performance of healthcare services across the county, including A&E waits, waits for cancer treatment and ambulance response times, and what can be done to improve them.

The meeting runs from 9am in Jubilee House, Oxford Business Park. Members of the public are welcome to attend.