‘Deeply disturbing’ child mental health waiting times in Scotland

According to official statistics, over 1,500 children with mental health problems had waited a year or more for specialist help by the end of 2020.

In December 2019, the number of young people waiting for more than 52 weeks for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) stood at 589.

Campaigners said the figures were “deeply disturbing” and the sector was in crisis before Covid.

In the latest times report from Public Health Scotland, the statistics show that 1,560 children and young people had waited 52 weeks or longer for an appointment with CAMHS. In total 11,166 were waiting to be seen by the service by the end of last year.

Public Health Scotland said the increase in the number of youngsters experiencing long waits was “potentially due to a combination of school closures, some not having access to a safe/confidential space to engage in digital appointments, or have a desire to wait for an in-person appointment.”

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), a group of organisations working with vulnerable children, said the latest figures were “deeply troubling”.

Jo Anderson, director of external affairs at The Scottish Association for Mental Health said “Scotland’s mental health services were struggling before the pandemic, and today’s figures demonstrate once again that we need a radical new plan.

“Young people deserve the right to get help the first time they ask, without fearing that they will be turned away. And the need for quick access to psychological wellbeing support has never been greater.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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