By Bill Heaney
Steven is a teenager who is waiting for a diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a range of other complex conditions.
His initial consultation with child and adolescent mental health services was five years ago, but he is still waiting for treatment, and his family have no idea when he will reach the front of what must now be the longest queue in the national health service.
They fear that he will face more of the most important years of his life—with schooling, relationships and exams—without the care pathway or the medication that he needs.
This is a national crisis.
Across Scotland, the number of ADHD referrals has skyrocketed—in Glasgow, it is up by 1,000 per cent among adults—but resources have simply not kept pace with demand.
Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamiltron and First Minister John Swinney.
Today is World Mental Health Day, and we know that ADHD often presents alongside other conditions, including anxiety and depression.
When we get to next year’s world mental health day, will Steven and others like him still be waiting for care?
This was the question put to First Minister John Swinney by Alex Vole-Hamilton, the LibDem leader, in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
Mr Swinney apologised immediately and promised to look into Steven’s case to see what could be done for him.
He added: “What I will say to reassure Mr Cole-Hamilton is that there has been a 15 per cent increase in the number of people accessing CAMHS compared with pre-pandemic levels.
“In the financial year 2023-24, 18,366 patients started treatment with CAMHS and, in 2022-23, the highest number of people on record started treatment with CAMHS.
“One in two children and young people who are referred to CAMHS now start treatment within six weeks, which is a significant improvement on pre-pandemic levels.
“The Government has put resources into that area of activity. In 2022-23, the budget was increased from £98 million to £114.8 million—an increase of 17.2 per cent. I hope that that is an indication to Mr Cole-Hamilton of the seriousness with which the Government takes those issues and of its willingness to address them.
“We will, of course, commit to doing more, and we will consider the points that Mr Cole-Hamilton has put to me when we settle on our budget position for the next financial year. I hope that we will be able to make improvements on that question.”
- This is Sam Thompson, who has won I’m A Celebrity and starred in Made in Chelsea.
- Sam is partnered with ADHD UK and has ADHD himself.
- So what’s that like?
- Sam says: “For me, prior to getting diagnosed, I would misplace things, struggle with paying bills and forget to message my friends and family back. It was unforgettable and uncontrollable.
- “Since my diagnosis, I feel calmer. It feels like the world is a little less crazy place. and I am finding it easy to work through and balance tasks.
- “Don’t get me wrong, there are still bad days, but they are fewer and far between.”
- Visit adhd.co.uk for information.
SAM THOMPSON
Sam was speaking to OK magazine.