EXCLUSIVE: A freedom of information request has revealed the long waits experienced by some young people.
A row has broken out over long waits for treatment(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A young Scot waited over six years for mental health treatment on the NHS.
The 2,291 day wait in NHS Lothian came amid growing criticism of the SNP’s running of the health service.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide support for children and young people who have emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties.
Young people up to 18 experiencing depression, anxiety and eating disorders are helped, but critics have slammed the long waits on the NHS.
In a column for the Daily Record, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar wrote: “A Scottish Labour FOI has now uncovered more information about the scale of the crisis in CAMHS. Across Scotland there are kids waiting not months but years for mental health treatment.
“These are young people who have been diagnosed but left to wait for years on for treatment to start – this is shameful. Last year one young person in Edinburgh finally started treatment with CAMHS after a shocking 2,291 day wait – that’s more than six years.
“This year another waited 1,247 days to be seen – over three and a half years. This is the shameful reality of this SNP government’s record – vulnerable kids needing help left waiting years.”
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Anas Sarwar
It was revealed in March that just over 90% of children and young people referred for mental health care started treatment within 18 weeks.
This was the first time the SNP Government target for referrals to CAMHS had been met since being set over a decade ago.
In the final quarter of 2024, figures showed 90.6% of patients were seen within 18 weeks of referral.
This was an increase from 89.1% for the previous quarter and from 83.8% for the same quarter ending December 2023.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Long waits for mental healthcare are unacceptable and it is vital that young people and families across Scotland receive support to meet their needs at the earliest opportunity.
“For many young people this support is likely to be community-based, however some will require specialist services like Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
“In 2024-25 the Scottish Government allocated £123.5 million recurring funding to NHS Boards to support increased access to mental health services, including CAMHS, and in December 2024, the 18-week CAMHS standard was met for the first time, with 90.6% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral.
“But we are not complacent and continue to provide enhanced support to those Boards not on track to meet the standard.”
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