Covid hits mental health treatment for youngsters
Over 1500 youngsters in Lanarkshire are still waiting for mental health treatment – and it will take over 18 months before normal service resumes.
More than half of the adolescents on the waiting list for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in the region have already been holding on for over 18 weeks, which is longer than the Scottish Government’s targeted time.
And 12 per cent of those waiting have still not been seen despite being on the list for over a year.
Health chiefs say that they hope to have cleared the waiting list by March 2023, and added that services are still reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emer Shepherd, general manager for specialist children’s health services at NHS Lanarkshire, said CAMHS “has to make a number of changes to the way services are provided” in order to reduce the risk of infection of Covid-19 to service users and staff.
These changes, she said, would protect clinical capacity to support intensive care services, adding: “In
March 2020, we wrote to all current service users letting them know we were postponing all non-urgent work in the short term.
“All service users were advised that they could contact the CAMHS teams at any time if they had any concerns about changes in a child or young person’s mental health.
“We have continued to provide an assessment and intervention service for existing and new patients where there is a high clinical need or urgent risk. We have provided most of our assessments and interventions using telephone and ‘Near Me’.
“Where a child or young person has required to be seen face-toface we have used the appropriate infection control, physical distancing and PPE measures. We have continued to provide a safe and responsive clinical service.
“In addition, the service has set up a telephone advice line for young people, parents, carers and professionals, as well as producing a catalogue of information and selfhelp resources freely available to download from the NHS Lanarkshire website.”
In the neighbouring Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, almost 3000 (2838) young people suffering with depression, anxiety and disorders are currently waiting for treatment. Figures show 56.1 per cent of youngsters there have been seen within the 18 week waiting time, compared to 47.9 per cent for Lanarkshire, with figures dated through to the end of July this year.
And 30 per cent of those referred to mental health services in Lanarkshire had their application rejected – the third highest figure for rejections throughout Scotland.
For the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region the number was 22.1 per cent rejected.
Ms Shepherd added that the current system is being modernised in an attempt to tackle the problem.
She stated: “This modernisation will see the roll out of the ‘choices and partnership’ approach model and aims to significantly increase workforce across CAMHS.
“In addition, CAMHS accommodation will be refurbished and a new CAMHS hub will be established in South Lanarkshire.
“CAMHS in Lanarkshire have indeed experienced a rise in the number of unscheduled care/ urgent referrals in the period since the first Covid-19 lockdown and in response to current waiting times, the service is planning a coordinated approach that aims to have cleared all waiting lists for the service by March 2023.”