We aim to provide open and clear information about waiting times for each of the services you may be waiting to access.

The below tables provide the average waiting times from referral to the first meaningful contact (i.e. assessment, either by telephone, video, or face-to-face). Please note that these are average wait times and, therefore, you may find yourself seen sooner or later than estimated. Several factors can influence how long you may wait to be seen, and cases are triaged to identify anyone who may be at a higher risk and require an appointment sooner.

If you are referred into Core CAMHS for a neurodevelopmental (ND) assessment i.e., for ADHD or Autism, your wait times will be longer than those referred in for mental health conditions due to the current demand. The reported wait times below are separated into Core CAMHS appointments (mental health conditions) and ND (ADHD and/or Autism) appointments across the three localities that we serve (Manchester, Trafford, and Salford).

The Manchester Core CAMHS teams manage their ADHD pathways within their Core offer, whilst Autism referrals are managed by the Social Communication Pathway, an autism assessment service that sits alongside Manchester’s Core CAMHS teams.

Management of both the ADHD and Autism pathways is held by Salford Council’s Neurodevelopment Assessment Pathway. Referrals are made to the ND pathway and passed to CAMHS once accepted where there are co-occurring mental health needs.

The wait times provided below are for referrals received by Salford CAMHS only and reflect the waiting times from when a referral is accepted by CAMHS, and not when the referral was received by the Neurodevelopment Assessment Pathway.

If you have been referred to the Neurodevelopment Assessment Pathway and not CAMHS, please contact Salford Council for information on their wait times and refer to our waiting well offer.

The management of both the Autism and ADHD pathways within Trafford sits with the Trafford Local Care Organisation (TLCO). Trafford’s Core CAMHS team provides support to both pathways alongside Community Paediatrics and accept ADHD referrals where there are complex mental health needs. Currently, all Autism referrals are dealt with by the TLCO.

The wait times provided below are for referrals received by Trafford CAMHS only and reflect the waiting times from when a referral is accepted by CAMHS, and not when the referral was received by the TLCO.

If you have been referred to the TLCO and not CAMHS, please contact the TLCO for information on their wait times and refer to our waiting well offer.