Cole-Hamilton: SNP cut £30m from mental health despite missing targets yet again

Scottish Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that the future for young people’s mental healthcare is grim, after new figures revealed that the referral to treatment target for child and adolescent mental health services was missed yet again.

New figures from Public Health Scotland show that for the quarter ending December 2023:

• 83.8% 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.

• 4,531 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS in Scotland. This is a 3.3% decrease from the 4,686 starting treatment in the previous quarter, and a 19.7% decrease from the 5,641 starting treatment in the quarter ending December 2022.

• 5,517 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending December 2023 which is an increase of 3.2% (173) compared to 5,344 in the previous quarter.

The Scottish Government recently announced a £30m cut to mental health services in the this year's budget.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“The SNP have never met their own target for ensuring children and young people get access to mental healthcare.

“With a £30m cut to services, prospects for young people on the mental health waiting list are grim.

“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.

“Scotland needs world-class mental health services. Scottish Liberal Democrats will deliver them. That’s why we’ve just 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.”