Young mental health patients endure long waits for treatment

CRITICISM: Tory MSP brands the situation ‘shocking’ and says Scottish Government ‘took their eye off the ball’

Fife’s most vulnerable children are being failed as they endure “shocking” waits for mental health treatment, it has been claimed.

Almost 60% of the region’s young mental health patients had waited longerthan 18 weeks for an appointment with NHS Fife’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) at the end of June, with waiting times the highest they have been in more than a year.

New figures released by Public Health Scotland show 197 Fife youngsters were in breach of the Scottish Government’s waiting-time guarantee.

By comparison, 42% of patients in NHS Tayside waited longer than 18 weeks during the same period, while in Grampian the figure was 17.5%.

Across Scotland, almost two-thirds of the 10,000 youngsters referred to CAMHS suffered waits of 18 weeks or longer – more than double the number waiting in April last year, with hundreds in limbo for more than a year.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a plan was in place to improve children’s mental health services but that it had been disrupted by Covid-19.

Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith branded the situation shocking, adding: “These figures clearly illustrate that the SNP Government took their eye off the ball on mental health long before the outbreak of Covid-19.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “Two years ago across Scotland, 208 children were waiting over a year.

“It doubled last year, which the first minister described as unacceptable.

“It was the worst it had ever been and that was before the virus hit.

“Now it’s doubled again and there’s no new plan.”

Ms Sturgeon said record sums had been invested in mental health, with record numbers of professionals employed.

“We are also employing school counsellors across our school estate to be more preventative,” she said.

NHS Fife said many referrals had been assessed during the pandemic and the waiting time for a first appointment was now two to three weeks. It said its aim was to ensure children were supported by a wide range of services to reduce the impact on CAMHS.

It is also creating a CAMHS urgent response team to ensure urgent referrals receive timely, short-term intervention.

It was the worst it had ever been and that was before the virus hit. Now it’s doubled again and there’s no new plan.

WILLIE RENNIE

Liz Smith MSP has called for urgent action to tackle the delay in young people receiving treatment.