Borders child waited over three years for mental health help

A child in the Borders waited more than three years to begin mental health treatment, data has shown.

The child waited 1,185 days, according to Scottish Lib Dem freedom of information request response.

They eventually received treatment in the 2021-22 financial year.

NHS Borders said it had experienced "considerable staffing shortages" compounded by the availability of suitably qualified clinicians and was currently recruiting more nurses.

• Vast gaps in child mental health services - study

• Children's mental health referrals rise sharply

• Child mental health services waiting times grow

It also emerged that, as of June 8 of this year, another patient in Lanarkshire had waited 1,073 days and had not yet received treatment. It is not known if the child in question has since been treated.

The figures also showed 176 children were waiting two years - as of 8 June - to be treated by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across the country.

Of these, 76 were in the NHS Highland board area, 70 in Lanarkshire and 30 in the Forth Valley health board region.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "It is shocking to learn that children and young people are waiting three years to be seen for the mental health treatment they need. This must feel like a lifetime.

"These figures should weight heavy on the shoulders of the health secretary because they show that the current system simply isn't working."

Early interventions

He added: "For years, this SNP government has told us about their commitment to mental health but there is very little evidence that this is anything other than bluster.

"Staff are doing their best but there is nowhere near enough resources or early interventions."

Mr Cole-Hamilton has pushed for a mental health first aider to be available at all phases of education, as well as counsellors available to pupils in all schools.

• 'Pull out the stops' call for child mental health

• Mother tells of 'broken' children's mental health service

• The latest headlines from Scotland

A spokesperson for NHS Borders said: "While the number of patients seen by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the Borders within the 18-week target is far from what we would wish for, we have and continue to work hard to improve our waiting times.

"We have experienced considerable staffing shortages which were compounded by the availability of suitably qualified CAMHS clinicians."

The spokesperson added that the health board was actively recruiting nurses and once those posts were filled it would reduce its waiting times significantly, seeing those who had been waiting the longest first.

They added: "Further improvement work is well under way such as putting in place a stakeholder reference group and developing pathways and processes to meet the CAMHS standards."

'Pandemic played a major role'

Ross McGuffie, chief officer of North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: "Providing mental health support to children and young people is a priority and CAMHS teams across Lanarkshire are working hard to see children and young people as quickly as possible.

"There are already a range of services for children and young people which offer support and ongoing treatment including the development of a new CAMHS facility at Udston in South Lanarkshire.

"This new facility is in addition to the other two CAMHS centres in North Lanarkshire, one in Coatbridge and one in Motherwell as well as outreach clinics in each local area."

He added that an extra 59 staff had been added to its CAMHS service recently using the Scottish government's Recovery and Renewal Funding.

He said: "We have new teams already in place supporting an extensive waiting list initiative clinic that has reduced the waiting list by 20% over the last 12 weeks.

"However, we recognise that the pandemic has played a major role in increased waiting times and as well as the developments above we are looking at other ways of reducing waiting times so children and young people get the support they need as quickly as possible."

If you, or someone you know, has been affected by mental health issues, BBC Action Line has put together a list of organisations which can help.