More than 1,000 children have been waiting more than a year for treatment
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a “mental health emergency” as new figures indicate that more than 1,000 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment.
The figures from Public Health Scotland also indicate that only one Scottish health board is meeting the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 18 weeks from referral to treatment over the quarter to September 2020 and two out of five are not being seen within this 18 week target.1
The SCSC has called on the Scottish Government to redouble its efforts and for a “national crusade” to tackle this emergency as the number of referrals return to pre-lockdown levels.
It has also backed calls by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland that £145 million from additional £1.1 billion COVID-19 funding granted in the autumn be applied to mental health services.
While 4,032 children and young people were treated over the period July to September 2020 by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), only 60.6 per cent were seen within the 18-week waiting target and only one health board, NHS Ayrshire and Arran met this target.
The report also highlights that in September 2020, 1,060 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 632 on the same point last year.3 In addition, 365 had been waiting over a year prior to treatment compared with 220 in the same quarter the previous year.
The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.
It has called reiterated its call for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.
The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services.
“While referrals are beginning to return to pre-lockdown levels, it is vital that children and families are provided with the support they so desperately need, especially given the impact of the pandemic on mental health. The fact that more than 1,000 of our most vulnerable children have been waiting more than a year for treatment in this respect is deeply troubling.
“We would urge the Scottish Government to look to not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations to play a key role in this. Our mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.”
Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from July to September 2020, by NHS Board of treatment:
| Health board | Total number seen | % seen within 18 weeks |
| NHS Island boards | 62 | 83.9% |
| NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 95 | 88.4% |
| NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 233 | 91.9% |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 248 | 62.1% |
| NHS Lothian | 518 | 59.5% |
| NHS Grampian | 343 | 85.7% |
| NHS Fife | 274 | 63.9% |
| NHS Forth Valley | 182 | 40.1% |
| NHS Borders | 32 | 71.9% |
| NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley | 1,451 | 47.6% |
| NHS Highland | 198 | 74.2% |
| NHS Tayside | 396 | 57.8% |
| NHS Scotland | 4,032 | 60.6% |
The number of young people waiting for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Lothian has dramatically increased since March this year.
The number of young people waiting 0-18 weeks for mental health support has dropped from 1,223 in March to 963 in September this year. The number of young people waiting over a year to be seen for mental health support has risen from 381 in March earlier this year, to 581 in September, an increase from 14.8% to 21% of young people having to wait over a year.
Waits for young peoples mental health support have been growing over the last two years, but have significantly increased over the last 6 months since Covid-19.
At the start of this year NHS Lothian invested £3 million to hire 40 extra staff including, clinical psychologists, registered nurses and occupational therapists
In September this year Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council, in partnership with MYPAS, announced pilot schemes for counsellors to be place in schools for this academic year.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “In Edinburgh and the Lothians we were already facing a mental health crisis for young people, which has only got worse since Covid-19.
“Young people having to wait over a year to be seen for mental health support is very distressing for the person who is note getting the support they need and their family.
“CAMHS staff work tirelessly to provide invaluable mental health support, but they must be further supported by SNP Ministers and NHS Lothian to meet the high demand for their services.
“Remote mental health support is not the right solution for everybody, but where appropriate this must be fully utilised to reach and support as many young people as possible.
“SNP Ministers have been in charge of our health service for over 13 years, during which time mental health service waiting times for young people have got significantly longer.”
1 Public Health Scotland, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Waiting Times in Scotland, Quarter Ending 30th September 2020 – Full Report (PDF link), 1st December 2020, p.5. Available at: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/conditions-and-diseases/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/
(accessed 1st December 2020).