Mental health services for young people in south west London are being ‘reorganised’ with staff numbers cut and services centralised.

An ‘out-of-date’ system for under-18s had to be overhauled, health bosses said, because long delays meant children were waiting a long time to see therapists, and the IT system was not fit for purpose.

Services for youngsters who struggle with mental health will continue to operate from Birches Close in Mitcham although the team has been reduced.

Birches Close will deal with services including referrals from GPs, schools and cases where there is uncertainty about the young person’s condition.

Other services including those treating youngsters with specialist eating disorders will operate from Springfield University Hospital in Glenburnie Road, Tooting, which is a national centre of excellence.

A backlog of young people waiting for mental health assessments is being worked through because ‘targets were not met.’

The changes to mental health services for young people by the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) were brought in on Monday, September 1 across Sutton, Merton, Kingston, Wandsworth, Kingston and Richmond.

Jeremy Walsh, service director at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) which is part of the SWLSTG, said no-one should wait more than 18 weeks for treatment.

"We have struggled to do that.

"The biggest issue is children waiting for an assessment for ADHD or Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)" he said.

Mr Walsh said: "I think the changes were over due in CAMHS. We ran five teams in five different boroughs.

"It had evolved in a piecemeal way so we looked at them strategically.

"We have developed them in line with national guidelines and reviewed the workforce and focused investment on staff with different patient-focused time."

About 400 young people aged under 18-years-old are currently on the books for mental health services.

Dr Diana Cassell, clinical director of CAMHS said: "With people moving there is inevitably some people that are upset.

"There’s always a few bumps along the way.

"In a few months we will see improvements."

Mr Walsh said he was ambitious for the future and the coming months until Christmas would be crucial in judging the success.

Members of the public, healthcare professionals and anyone interested in mental health are invited to attend the SWLSTG annual public meeting Thursday, September 25 from 6pm at Springfield University Hospital.

Have you been affected by the changes? Contact Becky on 020 8722 6336 or email rebecca.middleton@london.newsquest.co.uk.