Mental health waiting time targets missed in first quarter of 2017

Waiting-times targets for specialist mental health care are not being met for more than a quarter of adults and one in six youngsters, new figures have revealed.

The data, which covers the first three months of this year, also showed the 18-week waiting-time target for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) was achieved for less than half of all patients in two health boards.

NHS Grampian met the target for just 45.2 per cent of those who started treatment over the January-march period while in NHS Lothian the 0 Maureen Watt says efforts must continue on waiting times target was met for 47.8 per cent of youngsters, with 10.3 per cent of children and young people in the area having waited more than a year for help.

At the end of March, there were 6,932 children and young people waiting for help, up from 6,359 at the end of December.

There were 20,952 adults waiting for psychological treatments, compared to 20,195 in December.

Mental health minister Maureen Watt said there had been an “encouraging” reduction in CAMHS waiting times, pointing outten NHS boards had met the target in January to March, compared with seven in the last three months of 2016. She added: “I’m clear that we must continue to reduce waiting times and I will not be satisfied until our target is met sustainably.”