World Mental Health Day

Research suggests that one in four Scots suffer from mental ill health every year, and we're being urged not to suffer in silence.

A leading coalition of independent and third sector children and young people's service providers has renewed its call on the Scottish Government for urgent action to ensure that NHS Health Boards meet waiting time pledges to access mental health services.

The call from the Scottish Children's Services Coalition (SCSC) comes as latest figures from the Information Services Division of National Services Scotland, part of NHS Scotland, indicate that many Health Boards are failing to meet Scottish Government waiting time targets. 

It also comes on the back of figures from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland which raises concerns over the number of children being admitted to non-specialist mental health units such as adult wards as well as a reduction in the number of mental health officers. 

Covering the quarter from April to June 2014, figures indicate that the vast majority number of Health Boards are currently failing to meet a 26-week waiting time target for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) (introduced in March 2013) and are at risk of missing a Scottish Government target of an 18-week waiting time, which comes into force in December 2014.  

The NHS in Scotland provides mental health services for children and young people with a wide range of mental health conditions including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, behaviour problems, depression and early onset psychosis. 

Only 5 of the 14 Health Boards have currently achieved the 26-week waiting time target from March 2013. And only 4 of the 14 Health Boards currently achieve the 18-week target which comes into force in December 2014.

During the quarter ending June 2014, 89.1% of people in Scotland as a whole were seen within 26 weeks and 82.9% of people were seen within 18 weeks (full copies for Health Boards available on request or as per 1 below). This indicates that one in ten is missing out on a 26-week waiting time target and masks the figures for some individual Health Boards, 

Key Points: 

·         NHS Ayrshire and Arran - only 41.6% of people were seen within the 18-week period and 53.2% within the 26-week period.

·         NHS Grampian - only 61.3% were seen within the 18-week period and 76.6% within the 26-week period.

·         NHS Tayside - only 68.2% were seen within the 18-week period and 76.6% within the 26-week period.

·         NHS Shetland - only 70% were seen within the 18-week period and 90% within the 26-week period.

·         NHS Lothian - only 71.2% were seen within the 18-week period and 79.7% within the 26-week period

·         The only Health Boards to currently achieve the 18-week target (to be introduced in December 2014) are NHS Orkney, NHS Western isles, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders.

·         The only Health Boards to achieve the 26-week target (from March 2013) were NHS Western Isles, NHS Orkney, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders. 
 
Figures from the Scottish Government indicate an 89% increase in those with Additional Support Needs, some of whom will require mental health services, at school between 20102 and 20133, and should come as no surprise due in part to greater awareness of these conditions.
 
This is against a background of figures from the Mental Welfare Commission indicating that the number of children being admitted to non-specialist units such as adult and paediatric wards has increased from 177 last year to 202 due to a strain on resources, meaning that they may not be getting the appropriate support they require.
 
The number of mental health officers, specialist social workers, has dropped by more than 3% in a year to 674, blamed on retirement and increased workloads.
Commenting on this situation, Sophie Pilgrim from Kindred Scotland and speaking for the Scottish Children's Services Coalition said:

"As a Coalition we were already very alarmed at these waiting time figures from some health boards, which compound our concerns and confirm that many do not have the resources to cope with increasing numbers of referrals. It is those children and young people requiring these services who are missing out, the most vulnerable in our society.  This has been compounded by an increase in children being admitted to non-specialist units, with the number of mental health officers dropping.
 
"We are at a crisis point and high level strategic management is required in order to get a grip on the situation. That is why, on World Mental Health Day, we are renewing our plea to the Scottish Government, local authorities and Health Boards, urging them to act now before this situation gets any worse."