Dundee West Labour
3 September 2019
More than a thousand children and young people have been forced to wait more than 18 weeks for mental health treatment, official figures show.
New figures published today reveal that 1,217 children and young people seen between May and June 2019 had to wait longer than the four and half months waiting time target – the equivalent of 30.3 per cent of all the patients seen in this time period.
1,780 children and young people also had their referral to CAMHs rejected in the quarter ending June 2019. In the twelve months since the SAMH’s Audit of Rejected Referrals was published in June 2018, a total of 7,512 have had their CAMHs referral rejected.
Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Monica Lennon MSP, said:
"Far too many young people are being failed, and these statistics confirm what MSPs already know to be true from our surgeries and casework.
“Our young people are facing a crisis in mental health, and no-one knows this better than the desperate families who want Scottish Ministers to keep their promises.
"Despite endless pledges from this SNP government, progress on mental health services for young people remains too slow - with thousands of children still being rejected from treatment and many more facing waits of over four months to be seen.
"Our young people need early intervention, and a year on from the last Programme for Government, thousands of children are still waiting on the roll out of school-based counselling.
"It’s not good enough. With the number of young people dying by suicide increasing last year, it’s more vital than ever that the Health Secretary gets to grips with this mental health crisis and ensures our young people get help when they need it."
More than a thousand children and young people have been forced to wait more than 18 weeks for mental health treatment, official figures show.
New figures published today reveal that 1,217 children and young people seen between May and June 2019 had to wait longer than the four and half months waiting time target – the equivalent of 30.3 per cent of all the patients seen in this time period.
1,780 children and young people also had their referral to CAMHs rejected in the quarter ending June 2019. In the twelve months since the SAMH’s Audit of Rejected Referrals was published in June 2018, a total of 7,512 have had their CAMHs referral rejected.
Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Monica Lennon MSP, said:
"Far too many young people are being failed, and these statistics confirm what MSPs already know to be true from our surgeries and casework.
“Our young people are facing a crisis in mental health, and no-one knows this better than the desperate families who want Scottish Ministers to keep their promises.
"Despite endless pledges from this SNP government, progress on mental health services for young people remains too slow - with thousands of children still being rejected from treatment and many more facing waits of over four months to be seen.
"Our young people need early intervention, and a year on from the last Programme for Government, thousands of children are still waiting on the roll out of school-based counselling.
"It’s not good enough. With the number of young people dying by suicide increasing last year, it’s more vital than ever that the Health Secretary gets to grips with this mental health crisis and ensures our young people get help when they need it."