Child waited more than three years for mental health treatment, figures show

A child in the borders waited more than three years to begin mental health treatment, data shows.

The child, who received treatment in the 2021-22 financial year, waited 1,185 days, according to a freedom of information request response to the Scottish Lib Dems.

The request also found that as of June 8 of this year, another patient in Lanarkshire had waited 1,073 days and had not yet received treatment.

It is not known if the child in question has since been treated.

The figures also showed 176 children were waiting two years – as of June 8 – to be treated by child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) across the country, 76 of whom were in the NHS Highland board area and another 70 were in Lanarkshire, while 30 were in the Forth Valley health board region.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “It is shocking to learn that children and young people are waiting three years to be seen for the mental health treatment they need. This must feel like a lifetime.

“These figures should weight heavy on the shoulders of the Health Secretary because they show that the current system simply isn’t working.

“For years, this SNP Government has told us about their commitment to mental health but there is very little evidence that this is anything other than bluster.

“Staff are doing their best but there is nowhere near enough resources or early interventions.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton has pushed for a mental health first aider to be available at all phases of education, as well as counsellors available to pupils in all schools.

Ross McGuffie, Chief Officer North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “Providing mental health support to children and young people is a priority and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Teams (CAMHS) across Lanarkshire are working hard to see children and young people as quickly as possible.

“There are already a range of services for children and young people which offers support and ongoing treatment including the development of a new CAMHS facility at Udston in South Lanarkshire. This new facility is in addition to the other two CAMHS centres in North Lanarkshire, one in Coatbridge and one in Motherwell as well as outreach clinics in each local area.

“We have also recruited an additional 59 staff into the CAMHS service in recent months utilising the Scottish Government’s Recovery and Renewal Funding, and have new teams already in place supporting an extensive waiting list initiative clinic that has reduced the waiting list by 20% over the last twelve weeks.

“However, we recognise that the pandemic has played a major role in increased waiting times and as well as the developments above we are looking at other ways of reducing waiting times so children and young people get the support they need as quickly as possible.”

A spokesperson for NHS Borders, said: “While the number of patients seen by the Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in the Borders within the 18 week target is far from what we would wish for, we have and continue to work hard to improve our waiting times.

“We have experienced considerable staffing shortages which were compounded by the availability of suitably qualified CAMHS clinicians.

“In addition to this we are actively recruiting nurses. Once these posts have been filled we will reduce our waiting list and waiting times significantly, focussing on those who have been waiting the longest first.

“Further improvement work is well under way such as putting in place a stakeholder reference group and developing pathways and processes to meet the CAMHS standards.”