Children’s mental health delay

THOUSANDS of children have been stuck on waiting lists for mental health treatment for more than 18 weeks – in breach of a flagship commitment by the SNP Scottish Government.

New figures show 3,666 children, including some suffering severe bouts of depression, anxiety and stress, have had to wait more than four-and-a-half months for treatment in the last year.

That is despite the SNP government setting a target in 2014 for all children to be treated within 18 weeks. Now critics say teenagers are being ‘failed by the system’.

Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour’s inequalities spokesman, said: ‘I am very sad for the 3,500 children and young people who have been parked on mental health waiting lists for several months. The warm words of SNP ministers are amounting to nothing for these youngsters and their families. Access to mental health treatment is vital to help children and young people recover and carry on with their studies.’

The SNP manifesto for the last Holyrood elections promised to ‘transform’ mental health services, including an extra £150million of investment. Mrs Lennon said: ‘The SNP government claims it is prioritising education and mental health, but it needs to own up to the heartbreaking truth of children being failed by the system.’

The new figures show that, between March 2016 and March 2017, 19,124 patients under the age of 18 were seen at hospital in relation to mental health issues but only 15,458 were treated within the 18 week target.

Mental Health Minister Maureen Watt said: ‘We take the mental health of our young people very seriously and the number of children and young people seen by mental health services within the target time has increased for three consecutive quarters.’