SCOTLAND is in the grip of a “mental health crisis” according to Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson as new figures revealed almost 1000 children and youngsters have been waiting for more than a year to begin vital treatment.
In Lanarkshire, 56 patients have been waiting for more than 12 months and 354 patients for over 18 weeks, which is the SNP’s Government’s target time.
Mr Simpson says that the figures are only likely to get worse with the effects of lockdown and has called on the SNP to urgently give NHS Lanarkshire the resources they need.
He said: “These are truly unacceptable figures and show the urgent need to properly tackle this mental health crisis Scotland’s youngsters are in the grip of.
“Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the SNP were routinely missing waiting time targets by significant margins and that is only getting worse with the effects of lockdown.
“SNP Ministers must urgently give our health boards the resources they need in order to ensure our vulnerable young people can be treated as quickly as possible; 56 vulnerable young patients waiting over a year for treatment from NHS Lanarkshire is completely unacceptable.”
The figures also revealed that six out of 10 (60.6 per cent) children and youngsters across Scotland were seen within 18 weeks, compared to 61.7 per cent for the previous quarter and 64.5 per cent for the quarter ending September 2019.
The Scottish Government standard states that 90 per cent of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Half of the youngsters seen started their treatment within seven weeks with the other half within 13 weeks.
