Lengthy wait for youths with mental health issues

Sixty-five per cent of young people seeking mental health services from NHS Lanarkshire have been waiting longer than 18 weeks.

And 302 youngsters have been waiting more than a year to receive treatment.

New figures showed that almost 2000 children and young people across Scotland have also been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment.

Conservative MSP for Central Scotland Meghan Gallacher has slammed the numbers, demanding that NHS Lanarkshire and the SNP get on top of the situation as a matter of urgency.

She said: “These appalling figures should be a source of shame for the SNP.

“There is a mental health crisis among our young people in NHS Lanarkshire and that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“The SNP are simply not doing enough to get on top of this situation. Even before Covid, they were failing to meet key targets on mental health treatment for young people.

“NHS Lanarkshire simply hasn’t got the resources they need to treat vulnerable young people as quickly as possible.

“Ministers must use these shocking figures to act urgently and ensure vulnerable young people are not forced to wait unacceptably long for the treatment they desperately need.”

NHS Lanarkshire responded by saying that services are at an unprecedented level of pressure which is the result of a large rise in the number of people requiring urgent unscheduled care.

This has an impact on planned care and leads to increased waiting times.

Emer Shepherd, general manager, specialist children’s services, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Our child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), like health and care services across the country, continue to experience unprecedented levels of pressure.

“Those with the most clinical need, high risk and urgent cases continue to be seen as a priority and do not go on a waiting list. This relates to young people with life-threatening presentations of suicidality, significant deliberate self-harm, eating disorders and acute psychiatric presentations.

“Although there are currently long waiting lists, all referrals are vetted on a daily basis by senior clinical decision-makers and all urgent referrals are allocated clinical assessment appointments within two weeks of referral, many within 48 hours of referral.

“The recovery process, by necessity, is a gradual process for many services and this includes CAMHS. It’s important that people are aware of this and why it will take time to return to normal as we adapt to the disruption caused by Covid-19.

“Throughout the pandemic, our services have continued with face-to-face support, Near Me video consultations and telephone calls. The teams are also referring patients to other services, such as the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), where it is appropriate to do so.”

The NHS Lanarkshire website (www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk) hosts a number of resources relating to mental health. People who are struggling to cope after trying these resources should then contact their GP or NHS24 on 111.