By Bill Heaney
The SNP must do more to support children’s mental health services Scottish Labour has said, as key mental health targets are missed and waiting lists grow.
New figures for the quarter ending December 2023 have revealed that waiting lists for both CAMHS and psychological therapies grew compared to the previous quarter, with waiting time targets on both continuing to be missed.
At the end of December 2023, there number of children and young people waiting to start treatment at CAMHS rose to 5,517. Of these, 190 children and young people have been waiting more than a year.
A staggering 22,649 people were stuck on waiting lists for psychological therapies at this point – up by 779 compared to the previous quarter. This includes a shocking 1,404 people waiting more than a year.
Despite some improvements to waiting times, both services failed to meet their target for 90 per cent of people to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.
In CAMHS, just 83.8 per cent of children and young people were seen within 18 weeks of referral, and in psychological therapies just 80.6 per cent of people were seen within 18 weeks.
More alarming again, one in four children and young people referred for CAMHS treatment were turned away last year.
Scottish Labour Mental Health spokesperson Paul Sweeney said “Thousands of Scots are struggling with poor mental health and far too many people are still waiting far too long for the support they desperately need.
“While any improvement is welcome, the crisis in Scotland’s mental health services is far from over.
“NHS workers have gone above and beyond to get services back on track and get people the support they need, but they are being failed by this incompetent SNP government.
Scottish Labour’s Paul Sweeney and Alex Cole-Hamilton of the LibDems.
“The SNP must act now to drive down rising waiting lists, get waiting times back up to standard, and ensure people can get the lifesaving mental health support they need when they need it.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that the future for young people’s mental healthcare is grim, after new figures revealed that the referral to treatment target for child and adolescent mental health services was missed yet again.
New figures from Public Health Scotland show that for the quarter ending December 2023:
• 83.8% of children and young people were seen within 18 weeks of referral. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
• 4,531 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS in Scotland. This is a 3.3% decrease from the 4,686 starting treatment in the previous quarter, and a 19.7% decrease from the 5,641 starting treatment in the quarter ending December 2022.
• 5,517 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending December 2023 which is an increase of 3.2% (173) compared to 5,344 in the previous quarter.
The Scottish Government recently announced a £30m cut to mental health services in the this year’s budget.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP have never met their own target for ensuring children and young people get access to mental healthcare.
“With a £30m cut to services, prospects for young people on the mental health waiting list are grim.
“My party has spent years pressing the government about the importance of putting mental health practitioners into surgeries in every corner of Scotland, cutting waiting lists and improving access to mental health support.
“Scotland needs world-class mental health services. Scottish Liberal Democrats will deliver them. That’s why we’ve just set out plans to increase the tax paid by the social media giants – a move that could help fund more mental health support in schools and get more professionals close to where you live.”
artwork by jane heaney
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times can be found here.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times: Quarter ending December 2023
- 83.8% of children and young people were seen within 18 weeks of referral.
- 5,517 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending December 2023 which is an increase of 3.2% (173) compared to 5,344 in the previous quarter.
- 190 patients waiting had been waiting 53 weeks or more.
Rejected CAMHS referrals, 2023
|
Total referrals |
37,812 |
|
Rejected referrals |
9,560 |
|
% rejected |
25% |
Psychological therapies waiting times: Quarter ending December 2023
- 80.6% of people of all ages started their treatment within 18 weeks of referral.
- 22,649 people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending December 2023, including 1,404 people waiting more than 53 weeks.
Can you get psychological therapy on the NHS in Scotland ? I thought they just drugged em.