Key Points
- The number of children and young people in Kingston awaiting community support for mild to moderate mental health problems has fallen by approximately 40 per cent since November last year.
- South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust assumed control of the Tier 2 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Kingston in November 2025.
- Trust Associate Director Dr Amy Tucker confirmed that average waiting times for Tier 2 CAMHS support across Kingston and Richmond are currently under one year.
- Referral rates have more than doubled during the same period, increasing from roughly 15 monthly referrals in November 2025 to around 33 in July 2026.
- A comprehensive clinical review of waiting lists and the introduction of new mental health practitioner roles in local schools contributed to reducing the backlog.
- The trust is working alongside the South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enhance collaboration across health, social care, and voluntary sector services.
Kingston (South London News) October 28, 2026 – As reported by Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter for MyLondon, the number of children and young people in Kingston waiting for community support for mild to moderate mental health issues has decreased by around 40 per cent since November last year. The progress follows a major restructuring of local provision after South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust officially took over the running of the service in November 2025.
The trust initiated targeted measures to reduce patient backlogs following a wide-ranging review into local children and young people’s mental health provision. As detailed in the reporting by Charlotte Lillywhite for MyLondon, Dr Amy Tucker, Associate Director at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, provided an update on the progress during a meeting of Kingston Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel.
What changes were implemented to tackle rising healthcare demand?
Dr Amy Tucker explained that prior to the trust taking direct responsibility for the service in November 2025, a thorough clinical review was undertaken to evaluate every child and young person remaining on the waiting list. As reported by Charlotte Lillywhite of MyLondon, Dr Amy Tucker stated that
“every child and young person on that waiting list was clinically reviewed to check that their needs hadn’t escalated, but also to see whether there was an alternative, more appropriate service that could meet their needs.”
This detailed clinical reassessment allowed healthcare teams to connect young people with suitable alternative provisions or community groups where appropriate, thereby clearing duplicate or outdated entries and directly reducing the total list size.
In addition to the list review, the trust implemented structural changes to early intervention care. As outlined by Charlotte Lillywhite in MyLondon, Dr Amy Tucker noted that the trust recruited additional education mental health practitioners. These specialized practitioners were deployed directly into local schools across the borough to offer early support to pupils experiencing mild to moderate emotional distress, tackling issues before they escalated into severe clinical cases.
How has surging referral rates impacted service delivery?
The reduction in waiting numbers was achieved despite a substantial increase in overall demand for youth mental health provision. As reported by Charlotte Lillywhite of MyLondon, Dr Amy Tucker revealed that monthly referral rates to the service more than doubled over the course of eight months. Specifically, monthly referrals rose from approximately 15 in November 2025 to roughly 33 in July 2026.
Despite this sharp rise in incoming cases, the average wait time for Tier 2 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in both Kingston and Richmond has been maintained at under one year. As Charlotte Lillywhite reported for MyLondon, Dr Amy Tucker confirmed that the trust is continuing to collaborate with the South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) to build on these initial improvements and foster closer partnership working across local mental health services, social care departments, and voluntary sector organisations.
Background of the particular development
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across the United Kingdom have faced sustained pressure over recent years, with national healthcare data indicating a sharp increase in demand for youth emotional and psychological support following the COVID-19 pandemic. Tier 2 CAMHS specifically focuses on early intervention for children and young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health difficulties—such as anxiety, low mood, behavioral challenges, or early-stage emotional distress—before these conditions require specialized Tier 3 or inpatient Tier 4 psychiatric care.
Historically, community mental health services across South West London were managed through fragmented delivery models involving multiple external providers and local authority partnerships. In late 2025, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust consolidated management oversight of Kingston’s Tier 2 services. The trust’s intervention was designed to streamline referral pathways, standardize clinical triage, and integrate mental health practitioners directly into educational settings. This structural overhaul formed part of a broader NHS strategy aimed at delivering localized early intervention and reducing long-term strain on secondary care health services.
Prediction: How this development can affect young people and families in Kingston
The 40 per cent reduction in waiting lists for Tier 2 CAMHS in Kingston is expected to produce significant long-term effects for local young people, families, schools, and the broader healthcare system.
- Impact on Children and Families: Timelier access to early intervention care reduces the likelihood of mild mental health issues escalating into acute psychiatric crises. Children facing emotional or psychological difficulties are more likely to receive support within months rather than years, helping to maintain their educational development, family stability, and overall well-being.
- Impact on Local Schools and Educators: The direct embedding of education mental health practitioners within schools provides teachers and school staff with immediate professional support. This setup enables early identification of psychological distress, reduces classroom disruptions, and fosters an environment where mental health needs are addressed within familiar surroundings.
- Impact on NHS Services and Social Care: By successfully managing cases at the Tier 2 stage, the trust decreases the volume of complex cases requiring high-cost, specialized Tier 3 psychiatric intervention or emergency department care. If maintained, this operational approach could serve as a sustainable delivery model for neighboring South London boroughs facing similar demand pressures.
