Scotland’s Minister for Mental Wellbeing has officially opened a new centre for children and young people’s mental health in Lanarkshire this week – set to deliver specialist support across NHS Lanarkshire.

The ‘state of the art facility’ is hosted by Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire and assesses and treats young people up to 18 years old with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.

The new Lanarkshire centre has been designed to provide specialist services including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) assessments, neurodevelopmental treatments and talking treatments alongside psychiatry and medication.

The development of the new centre has been supported by £1.5m from the Scottish government’s Recovery and Renewal Fund for Mental Health. 

Opening the new facility at Udston Hospital in Hamilton, Scotland’s new Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Maree Todd MSP said the new centre is “transforming” the care delivered:

“Improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is one of the priorities set out in our recent policy portfolio statement and this £1.5m specialist centre is transforming the way in which children and young people in Lanarkshire receive mental health care.

“We are determined to ensure young people are seen on time and have access to high quality services. While there is more to do, we have made record investment in CAMHS and the number of children starting treatment in the most recent quarter is comfortably the highest on record.”

Latest CAMHS statistics from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show, despite a slight improvement from 2021, 29.9% of children and young people were waiting more than 18 weeks since referral to access treatment.

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, says these numbers are “extremely alarming” and reflect a failure to deliver a key Scottish government pledge.

North Lanarkshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership stated that the “completely new facility” was designed with input from young people and their families to ensure it is tailored to meet their needs.

The Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister was shown the around the centre and spoke with staff who have also been carrying out an initiative to cut appointment waiting times.

A service-user said the new centre said is “far better than the previous building”, adding that the new setting makes it easier to express yourself.

Ross McGuffie, Chief Officer for Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, emphasised the importance of the new facility:

“This new specialist centre is an important part of the new, modern mental health service for Lanarkshire’s young people.

“We’re dedicated to ensuring we deliver services that make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. Our new facility is already ensuring we see young people in an environment that puts them at ease and is designed specifically for, and by, them.

“We know that mental health issues can have a significant impact on children and young people, and it is crucial that they receive the support they need as quickly as possible.”

He added that the new facility has already enabled the team to offer more timely and effective treatment for young people:

“The feedback on the new facility has been excellent and our staff deserve a lot of praise for not only playing a key role in developing the centre, but also for using it to its fullest to make significant progress in cutting waiting times for an initial assessment.”

Pauline Izat, General Manager, Specialist Children’s Health Services Unit, said the official opening is a “major milestone” for CAMHS and the young people who use the service.

Ms Izat added that the investment reflects their ongoing commitment to improving CAMHS in North Lanarkshire:

"Mental health is such an essential aspect of overall health, and we are dedicated to ensuring young people in our community have access to the care and support they need to navigate the challenges they face."

Read more: Mental health: including men at the margins; Scots mental wellbeing declined since pandemic; Call for next FM to prioritise CAMHS

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