With the latest statistics released for the time young people are waiting to access mental health services and treatment, care providers and the Royal College of Psychiatry in Scotland are urging the candidates for First Minister to ensure services are given the “priority they deserve”.

New figures released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reveal that, despite a slight improvement from 2021, 29.9% of children and young people were waiting more than 18 weeks from being referred to accessing treatment.

Over 700 children and young people are still waiting for treatment more than year on from their original referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Scotland’s minister for mental wellbeing says significant and sustained progress is being made, but the professional organisation for psychiatrists says, while demand is increasing, NHS capacity is not.

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

The organisation is now calling for the new First Minister to make the mental health of children and young people a key focus.

The Scottish government set a target in its NHS Recovery Plan to clear backlogs by March 2023 and for 90% of children and young people to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.

PHS also reports as many as 7,563 children and young people whose referrals had been accepted for the October-December 2022 quarter were still awaiting treatment.

This comes following a plea from the Scotland’s Mental Health Partnership – representing a number of adult mental health organisations -  for  the government to increase its mental health budget as the 2023/24 budget revealed mental health services provision would the £290.2m allocated in the current financial year.

The Partnership says, while reversing a previous £38m cut to services, the allocation still represents a “real terms reduction” for mental health services while demands are high.

PHS reports, for the quarter ending December 2022, an increase of just 3.8% in children and young people seen within the government’s 18-week target compared to the previous quarter. Over 10,000 children were referred to CAHMS in this time, an increase of almost 20% compared to the previous quarter.

A spokesperson for the SCSC points out that services were “already overstretched and under-resourced” before the pandemic adding:

“Both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis are making matters even worse, creating a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people.

“We are facing a mental health emergency and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living.

“The new First Minister, whoever that may be, must make the delivery of adequate mental health services for our children and young people an absolute priority.”

An overall increase of 11.1% in children and young people starting treatment in the last quarter of 2022 from the previous quarter was reported by PHS.

Scotland’s Mental Wellbeing Minister, Kevin Stewart, says the latest statistics reflect “significant and sustained progress” and the most positive waiting list changes seen in over five years.

Despite not meeting the government’s own target, Mr Stewart said that following “record-breaking” investment in CAMHS, the highest figure of children starting treatment has been seen, adding:

“One in every two referrals to CAMHS is seen within 9 weeks, and those most in need of help are prioritised by boards to be seen quickly.

“Compared to the same time last year there has been a decrease in the number of children waiting over 52 weeks of 53.8%. This has been made possible by the hard work of the CAMHS workforce which has more than doubled, 117.5%, since 2007.”

“This is part of a sustained and consistent record of improvement and the results of the work that has been done to set the conditions needed for long-term, sustainable improvement to CAMHS.”

In terms of clearing the waiting lists to support boards to meet demand going forward, Mr Stewart says he remains committed to supporting all health boards in this and treating 90% of patients in 18 weeks.

He added that the government is targeting “tailored support” towards boards with the longest waits to ensure robust improvement plans are in place.

However, Dr Helen Smith, chair of the CAHMS Faculty at Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, says that while the increased number been seen is encouraging, “we must not be complacent”, adding:

“As psychiatrists working on the frontline, we know first-hand how demand continues to increase but capacity remains the same. Despite all the drama around who will become the new First Minister – the CAMHS crisis continues in the background.

“We’re calling on all candidates to make sure they give children and young people’s mental health the priority it deserves.”

Dr Smith says the recent government funding was welcome but staff training to meet demand takes several years and CAMHS should receive its “fair share” of funding.

The next CAMHS waiting times publication will be 7 June 2023 and will include quarter ending March 2023.

By then, the government expects Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries and Galloway, Grampian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Shetland and Western Isles health boards to meet the standard that 90% of people are seen within 18 weeks of referral.

Read more: Scots mental wellbeing declined since pandemic; Mental health: including men at the margins; Go ahead for vulnerable teenagers' inpatient unit

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