Write to Your MP- Transparency Needed on CAMHS Waitlists and Access

Your MP should acknowledge your message within a few days, and issue a proper response within 2–3 weeks. If you don’t hear back, follow up! Persistence matters.

Subject: Transparency Needed on CAMHS Waitlists and Access

Dear [MP’s Name],

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent and parent to raise urgent concerns about children’s mental health services in our area.

CAMHS waiting times have become unacceptable. Families are being left in limbo for months (even years!) without support. Worse, many referrals are rejected outright, often without explanation. The system is failing the very children it was designed to protect.

I’m asking you to:

✦ Demand that our local NHS trust publishes current CAMHS waitlists (including average wait time for a first appointment). ✦ Call for the release of data on referral rejection rates, crisis response times, and staffing shortages. ✦ Support national efforts to set maximum wait time standards for children’s mental health services.

We can’t fix what isn’t being measured. Transparency is the first step toward accountability.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Postcode] (to confirm you’re a constituent)