More than 2,000 people still waiting over a year for mental health treatment despite CAMHS target being met

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said Scotland desperately needs world class mental health services after new figures showed more than 2,000 children and adults waiting more than a year to start treatment, despite the CAMHS target being met for the first time in its 10 year history.

The Public Health Scotland data also shows:

• Just 80.4% of adults were seen within 18 weeks of referral to psychological therapies.
• 4,362 children and young people and 24,747 adults were waiting for treatment at the quarter ending December 2024.
• 214 children and young people and 2,207 adults waiting more than a year to start treatment.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Meeting this target for the first time in 10 years is a step in the right direction, but the SNP Government has let down tens of thousands of children in that time and there are more still waiting over a year to start treatment. Services can’t keep up with ADHD referrals either.

“Scotland needs world class mental health services. Liberal Democrats would increase the tax paid by the social media giants who cause so much of the problem – a move that could help fund more mental health support in schools, get more professionals close to where you live, and ramp up the training of new staff and mental health first aiders.”