Miles Briggs MSP has said that young people, in Lothian, are being failed in mental health support in what is 2018 Year of the Young Person.
Year of the Young person is a Scottish Government initiative that is designed to celebrate young people and hear their voices.
Over the last year CAMHS waiting times have been getting progressively longer, with less young people seen within the target of 18 weeks and increasing numbers waiting over a year, with over one in ten young patients having to wait over a year to be seen.
The Scottish Government published a Mental Health Strategy in March 2017, which committed to treating mental health with the same commitment as physical health.
The strategy has proved ineffectual and Mental Health waiting times having been increasing across Scotland, not just in the Lothian’s.
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said:
“Waiting times for Children and Adolescent Mental Health services have been getting longer month on month throughout this year.
“There is also increased demand for the services, meaning waiting times will continue to grow.
“Expecting young people to wait over a year to access mental health services is shocking and needs to be sorted out urgently.
“The SNP Ministers mental health strategy of is obviously not working and CAMHS services are not being given the support necessary to deal with the mental health of young people in the Lothian’s.
“Mental health is arguably the most important thing for a person, but in what is the Year of the Young Person, young people are being failed on mental health support.”