Tag: waiting times

‘Perfect COVID storm’ for children’s mental health

  • The NHS in Scotland failed to meet a maximum 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from mental health services
  • More than a third are waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.
  • All health boards bar the Island health boards failed to meet this target
  • Danger of ‘perfect storm’ of pent-up demand as lockdown eases overwhelming services

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a “perfect storm” of a mental health crisis coupled with further cuts to some services following the Coronavirus pandemic.

It has urged the Scottish Government to invest significantly in mental health services to address this, warning of an overwhelming demand on services, and urged parents and young people to seek support if they need it.

The call comes as latest waiting time figures from Public Health Scotland, covering the period January to March 2020 (just as the lockdown came into force), show that 4,093 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period.

Of this number under two-thirds (65.1 per cent) received this treatment within the Scottish Government’s 18-week waiting time target from referral to treatment.

This was lower than the previous quarter (66.4 per cent) and significantly lower than the same period last year (73.6 per cent), meaning that just over a third are not being seen within the waiting time target.

All bar the island health boards failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.

Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Borders (89.8 per cent), NHS Fife (76.0 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (71.4 per cent), NHS Grampian (86.0 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (58.8 per cent), NHS Highland (84.8 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (57.7 per cent), NHS Lothian (54.6 per cent), NHS Tayside (65.0 per cent), NHS Dumfries & Galloway (87.2 per cent) and NHS Forth Valley (54.2 per cent).

The coalition has warned of a significant demand on services once the lockdown ends as subsequent to these figures there has been a fall in the number of children being referred for specialist help during lockdown, which could have a devastating impact on their mental health.

It warned that the absence of support from teachers and other care professionals could result in early warning signs being missed and lead to a surge in demand for services once the lockdown ends. Self-isolation and social distancing are already having an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression.

A recent report by Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing: –

  https://youngscot.net/news-database/lockdownlowdown-results

And a separate report from YouthLink Scotland showed the youth-work sector was facing a mental health crisis due to projected budget cut of £20.5 million this year – https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/news/may-2020/survey-report-reveals-20m-funding-hit-for-sector-as-youth-mental-health-crisis-looms/

Although the coalition welcomes the announcement made  by the First Minister (27 February) to invest £3.8 million in developing mental health services to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, it fears that not enough will be done to safeguard the mental health of our vulnerable children.

A spokesperson of the SCSC commented: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that nearly all of Scotland’s health boards are failing to meet the Scottish Government waiting time target for treatment.

“Along with cuts in services this points to a ‘perfect storm’ of a mental health crisis as we come out of lockdown, coupled with further cuts in services.

“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as these same under-pressure services face being overwhelmed due to a greatly increased demand.

“Children are not currently getting access to social services and are not going to school or reporting their experiences. Taking them to see the GP may currently be considered low priority.

“It is important to stress that these services are still available and the Scottish Government must look to support these young people as we come out of lockdown by investing significantly in services.”

Children’s mental health services ‘creaking at the seams’

  • The NHS in Scotland failed to meet a maximum 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from mental health services
  • More than a third are waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.
  • 11 out of 14 health boards, including NHS Lothian, failed to meet the 18-week waiting time target.
  • 272 children and young people waited more than a year prior to being seen
  • Coalition calls for fundamental rethink and renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, including embedding mental health within education.

Latest waiting time figures have reinforced the call by a coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers for dramatically increased investment in mental health services in the budget to address the current mental health crisis.

It has also called for an urgent need for transformational change in services, focusing on prevention and early intervention in order to tackle what is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

The call from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, comes as the latest waiting time figures from the Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Scotland, highlight that thousands of children and young people are failing to treated within a Scottish Government waiting time target.  

With an increasing number of children and young people being identified with mental health problems they also highlight a postcode lottery for mental health treatment across the country.

Covering the quarter October to December 2019, the figures highlight that 3,884 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period.

The NHS in Scotland, including 11 of the 14 regional health boards, failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.

While 66.4 per cent in the NHS in Scotland are being seen within this 18-week waiting time, still in itself far too long, more than a third (33.6 per cent) are failing to be seen within this period.

Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Fife (66.1 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (89.9 per cent), NHS Grampian (80.1 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (68.9 per cent), NHS Highland (75.2 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (57.8 per cent), NHS Lothian (48.4 per cent), NHS Tayside (57.4 per cent), NHS Dumfries & Galloway (88.6 per cent), NHS Shetland and NHS Forth Valley (57.7 per cent).

The figures also indicate that 272 children and young people in the October to December quarter had been waiting for more than a year prior to being seen for treatment, an increase from 204 in the previous quarter and a considerable increase from the  same quarter of last year (108).

Mental health services are creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand, as evidenced by these waiting time figures. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.

While acknowledging the great efforts the Scottish Government is making, such as an additional £250 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government of 2018, the SCSC has called for the Scottish Government to greatly increased investment in CAMHS and for a more consistent approach to delivering these services across Scotland. 3

It has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problem, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.

This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age in order to strengthen knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health.

SCSC says emotion and resilience classes should be provided to all students from primary one to teach students how to work through their emotions in a healthy way and there should be a whole-school approach, with training for all staff involved in education and providing counselling support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that we desperately need increased investment in the forthcoming budget to address this situation. The simple fact is that we are continuing to fail thousands of children and young people with mental health problems, and more clearly needs to be done to address this epidemic.

“These newly released figures highlight that the NHS in Scotland, including eleven of our health boards, are failing to meet what is already a lengthy waiting time. Yet we know that three children in every classroom has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.

“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14.  This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age as well as providing training for all staff involved in education.

“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”

One in three young people in the Lothians are waiting over a year for mental health support.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “It is deeply concerning that we are now in a situation where over a third of young people referred for mental health support in NHS Lothian are having to wait over a year.

“SNP Ministers have allowed us to reach crisis point by not properly managing NHS Lothian’s workforce and must take responsibility for neglecting to take action over the mental health crisis amongst young people.

“These figures show just how urgently we need an additional 40 whole time equivalent mental health professionals in NHS Lothian.”

Concern over alcohol and drug treatment waiting times

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, has raised concerns about waiting times for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in Lothian, with patients waiting for alcohol and drug treatments having to wait longer than anywhere else in Scotland. Continue reading Concern over alcohol and drug treatment waiting times

Health: Tories call for greater use of private sector to cut waiting times

The amount spend by NHS Lothian on private treatment for inpatients has reduced significantly over the last five years. Inpatient (IP/DC) private spend has dropped from £15,751,689 in 2014/15 to just £1,339,216 in 2018/19. Continue reading Health: Tories call for greater use of private sector to cut waiting times

NHS to receive a further £32 million to reduce waiting times

The NHS will receive a further £32 million to help reduce waiting times.

The investment is in addition to £70 million funding announced by the Health Secretary in April and brings the amount being spent on the Waiting Times Improvement Plan for 2019-20 to £102 million. The £102 million is part of the £850 million set aside to support the delivery of the plan over a three-year period.  Continue reading NHS to receive a further £32 million to reduce waiting times

Alcohol and Drug Partnership waiting times must improve, says Briggs

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has raised concerns with SNP Ministers about waiting times for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Lothian, following latest ISD figures for the quarter ending 31st March 2019. Continue reading Alcohol and Drug Partnership waiting times must improve, says Briggs

Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

The length of time people are waiting for care assessments in the Capital has fallen by almost 50% under the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), (writes its Chair, Councillor Ricky Henderson). Continue reading Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

Briggs: local patients waiting to long for alcohol and drug treatment

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesman and Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has called for more to be done to support Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Continue reading Briggs: local patients waiting to long for alcohol and drug treatment

233 young people waiting over a year for CAMHS in 2018

A total of 233 children and young people have had to wait over a year for mental health services in Lothian in 2018. NHS Lothian Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times are the longest in Scotland. Continue reading 233 young people waiting over a year for CAMHS in 2018