Clinical Commissioning Groups are being given an extra £25 million by NHS England to accelerate plans for improving mental health services for children and young people.

The investment will primarily target cutting waiting times for treatment, reducing waiting list backlogs and minimising the length of stay for those in inpatient care, health bosses said.

CCGs have already been given £149 million this year by the government to improve mental health services for the young to help ensure that, by 2020, an extra 70,000 will be able to access evidence-based treatment.

Back in the Summer NHS England published a plan, Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, setting out how this new funding - which will increase each year to 2020/21 - should be invested to boost access and improve quality.

To help maximise the amount available for frontline services for children, young people and their families, while also recognising the pressures faces by local areas, NHS England says it has "reprioritised spending on national programmes" to free up the extra £25 million for this financial year.

CCGs must, however, provide details on how the funds will be used to shorten wait times for treatment by March 2017.

"We hope this year to see some real headway being made on ensuring that children and young people with mental health needs are seen and treated as quickly and as close to home as possible," said Clare Murdoch, NHS England's National Director for Mental Health, commenting on the move.