Mental health treatment targets missed again

Scottish Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called on there to be action to resolve the “ever deepening crisis in mental health treatment” after new figures revealed that the referral to treatment target for child and adolescent mental health as well psychological services were missed yet again.

New figures from Public Health Scotland show that for the quarter ending March 2024:

• 86% of children and young people were seen within 18 weeks of referral. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
• 79.3% of adults waiting to start treatment with psychological therapies were seen within 18 weeks of referral. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of people should start treatment with psychological therapies within 18 weeks.
• 5,557 children and young people and with 24,012 adults were waiting for treatment for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies respectively at the quarter ending March 2024.

Mental health funding was frozen for the third year in a row in the Scottish budget last December. When combined with in-year funding cuts and inflation, this adds up to more than £80m of real-term cuts to the vital mental health budget.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“The SNP are presiding over an ever-deepening crisis in mental health treatment in Scotland. The SNP have unleashed tens of millions of cuts on mental health, only adding to the agony of everyone struggling to be seen.

“My party has spent years pressing the government about the importance of putting mental health practitioners into surgeries in every corner of Scotland, cutting waiting lists and improving access to mental health support. These figures show why we need action now more than ever.

“Scotland needs world-class mental health services. Scottish Liberal Democrats will deliver them. That’s why we’ve set out plans to increase the tax paid by the social media giants – a move that could help fund more mental health support in schools and get more professionals close to where you live.”