Publish date: 28 October 2025
Mental health support for young people aged 16 to 17 across West London has just become more accessible thanks to a newly launched initiative which will link Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) with NHS Talking Therapies (TT), a service that was initially only exclusive to adults.
GPs and CAMHS practitioners across three West London boroughs can now directly refer young people to Talking Therapies services, a resource which will help connect teens to the right support.
Initially set up in 2008 and formally known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), Talking Therapies aims to help patients to better manage their mental health through a range of evidence-based therapies.
The expansion of Talking Therapies is significant to West London. Prior to the recent expansion the initiative was only open to people over the age of 18 meaning many young people, specifically 16 – 17-year-olds, had to rely on CAMHS a multidisciplinary service to get support for more common mental health difficulties.
By lowering the minimum age for Talking Therapies, GPs across Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Hounslow can now refer 16 and 17-year-olds to local Talking Therapy centres. The expansion, which has been gradually rolled out across West London NHS Trust throughout 2025, with Ealing among the most recent areas to implement the change, has already resulted in over 200 GP referrals. This early uptake highlights the immediate impact and demand generated by the new initiative.
The sudden uptick in referrals for this specific age group helps to highlight a common issue many experts were told by service users, who described the transitional period between child and adolescent services into adult services to be a “cliff edge”. The change in age offers young people a more gradual and supportive transition into adult mental health services. This is particularly significant at a time when many are leaving compulsory education and taking their first steps into adulthood, a period often marked by uncertainty and emotional vulnerability.
Figures from the first half of 2025 found that over half a million (511,321) young people across England were engaged with children and young people’s mental health services, highlighting the significant demand for psychological support among the sub 18 population.
Speaking from a young person’s perspective, Curtis Adjei, Youth Ambassador for West London CAMHS said: “I think that the expansion of NHS Talking therapies for 16-17 year olds in West London is fantastic and a great initiative. This will allow more young people to get the support and care they need within their own local communities.
“I believe this change is encouraging because it directs young people who still need support to a well-established service that will benefit them and will help with feelings of abandonment when transitioning onto other services or leaving CAMHS."
Dr Ruth Dennis, Professional Lead for NHS Talking Therapies at West London NHS Trust, said: “This is a really positive and much-needed extension of our referral routes for young people. GPs are often the first point of contact for mental health concerns, and this change means they can now directly refer 16–17-year-olds to Talking Therapies. We’re proud to be making our services more accessible to young people and to be working closely with CAMHS to ensure safe, age-appropriate care.”
Keyur Joshi, Associate Director for CAMHS at West London NHS Trust, added: “This change has been possible as a result of the strong collaboration between CAMHS and Talking Therapies and a shared commitment to improving access to support for young people. It’s great to see adult services continuing to build their confidence and capacity to work with this age group, and we hope that this will help prevent young people from falling through the gaps between services.”