REFERRALS to mental health services in St Helens increased by 25 per cent over the past year.

A freedom of information request to North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust by the Local Democracy Reporter Service has revealed 5,686 people were referred to a mental health support service in 2017-18.

Out of that figure, 2,860 were male – an increase of 28 per cent compared with 2016-17.

The number of females referred also increased by almost 22 per cent, rising from 2,321 to 2,824.

Julie Chadwick, the trust’s assistant clinical director for St Helens, said the trust cannot explain the increase.

She said: “There are a number of factors which impact on referral figures.

“We do not have data to explain the increase between 2016-17 year and 2017-18 year.

“We are committed to delivering high-quality care for all our patients and are working with commissioners to ensure local services are able to meet the increased demand.”

There are numerous mental health support services in St Helens, including early intervention, home treatment and recovery services.

The majority of referrals in 2017-18 were for the adult mental health assessment team, with 1,486 referrals for males aged 18 to 65, 55 over 65s and five under 18s.

A total of 1,560 females aged 18 to 65 were referred to the assessment team in 2017-18. Five people under 18 were also referred to the service along with 89 over 65s.

In 2016-17, 1,361 males aged 18 to 65 were referred to the adult mental health assessment team, with 55 over 65s also referred. Only one person under 18 was referred.

In the same financial year, 1,338 females aged 18 to 65 were referred to the assessment team, with 80 referrals for over 65s and three over 18s.

In 2017-18, 826 people under the age of 18 were referred to mental health support services. A total of 507 males were referred, as well as 319 females.

The trust recorded 246 referrals to mental health support services for people under 18 in 2016-17. This was made up of 147 females and 99 males.

A trust spokesman said the rise was due to a neurodevelopmental pathway coordination service, which the trust started delivering in April 2017.

This service is responsible for co-ordinating the assessment, diagnosis and feedback for children and young people referred for a suspected neurodevelopmental condition, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Previously this function was managed by St Helens Council.