This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40173012

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Call for transformation of children's mental health services Call for transformation of children's mental health services
(35 minutes later)
Six children and young people's groups have joined forces to call for a radical transformation of mental heath services.Six children and young people's groups have joined forces to call for a radical transformation of mental heath services.
The Scottish Children's Services Coalition (SCSC) wants the Scottish government to increase investment.The Scottish Children's Services Coalition (SCSC) wants the Scottish government to increase investment.
The call comes as new waiting time figures show that an 18-week target for children and young people to receive specialist treatment has been missed.The call comes as new waiting time figures show that an 18-week target for children and young people to receive specialist treatment has been missed.
The Scottish government said the numbers of people seen were increasing.The Scottish government said the numbers of people seen were increasing.
Health Minister Maureen Watt said three more health boards had met the target since the end of last year, which she said was "encouraging".Health Minister Maureen Watt said three more health boards had met the target since the end of last year, which she said was "encouraging".
Since the end of 2014, the Scottish government has had in place a target of 90% of children to be seen within 18 weeks of referral for mental health support.Since the end of 2014, the Scottish government has had in place a target of 90% of children to be seen within 18 weeks of referral for mental health support.
But that target has never been met nationally.But that target has never been met nationally.
'Urgent inquiry''Urgent inquiry'
The new figures indicate that, of the 4,333 children and young people who started their treatment at CAMHS in Scotland between January and March 2017, 83.6% were being treated within the 18-week waiting time. At the end of March, 6,932 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMH) in Scotland.
There was a 1% rise in children being seen on the last quarter but a decrease on the same time last year. The figures also showed that 74 children and young people starting their treatment had been waiting more than a year to be seen.
Ten health boards met the waiting time standard. Those that missed the target were Grampian (45.2%), Lothian (47.8), Fife (84.5%) and Lanarkshire (87.2%) The statistics also showed:
The NHS in Scotland provides mental health services for children and young people with a wide range of mental health problems including anxiety, behaviour problems, depression and early onset psychosis.The NHS in Scotland provides mental health services for children and young people with a wide range of mental health problems including anxiety, behaviour problems, depression and early onset psychosis.
The figures showed that 74 children and young people starting their treatment had been waiting more than a year to be seen and more than a fifth of those referred (7,000) were not accepted for treatment. The SCSC, which is made up of Falkland House School, Spark of Genius, Who Cares? Scotland, Young Foundations, Kindred and Action for Sick Children Scotland, wants an inquiry into why the referrals were rejected.
The SCSC, which is made up of Falkland House School, Spark of Genius, Who Cares? Scotland, Young Foundations, Kindred and Action for Sick Children Scotland, wants an inquiry into why these referrals were rejected. 'Astonishing figure'
It has also called for greater investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), as well as a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) is also calling for an inquiry into the number of referrals being turned down.
Jo Anderson, SAMH director of external affairs said: "In the last year alone 7.000 young people were turned away from receiving a CAMHS service and for the last three years it's 17,500 people.
"That's an astonishing figure. And that is young people that we don't know what happens to them after they've been turned away. We don't know whether they received any other support.
"What we do know in the last few weeks of the campaign we've been running at SAMH, we've been inundated with calls from parents who're in that situation and their child has been rejected from receiving a CAMHS service and they haven't been signposted anywhere else. That's a very worrying picture."
Referral rejection 'made me feel even more worthless'
Caitlin Wyllie-Quinn, 20, a student from Irvine had a difficult transition to secondary school.
Bullying left her isolated and very down, crying all the time.
She got some initial help from the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service but after leaving therapy she went downhill rapidly.
Her GP made another referral to CAMHS but this time it was rejected. Caitlin was told that because she was not suicidal or self-harming, her case was not serious enough.
"If the person doing the assessment had asked me if I was suicidal or self-harming I would have answered yes to both those questions but basically I was refused help because they didn't have the capability to assess me properly," she said.
"I was at a real low point and I felt that getting referred to CAMHS was some sort of light at the end of the tunnel and finally maybe getting some help.
"For that to be stripped away from me made me feel even more worthless and just made things so much worse for me."
The SCSA has called for greater investment CAMHS, as well as a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention.
This includes in-school counselling, on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support, reducing the need for referral to CAMHS.This includes in-school counselling, on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support, reducing the need for referral to CAMHS.
It has also called for action plans to be put in place for the health boards failing to achieve the waiting time target.It has also called for action plans to be put in place for the health boards failing to achieve the waiting time target.
'Postcode lottery''Postcode lottery'
An SCSC spokesman said: "These figures highlight that four of our health boards were failing to meet maximum waiting times, a clear 'postcode lottery' when it comes to treatment.An SCSC spokesman said: "These figures highlight that four of our health boards were failing to meet maximum waiting times, a clear 'postcode lottery' when it comes to treatment.
"In addition, 74 of those with mental health problems were waiting more than a year to be seen and we are deeply concerned about what is happening to the more than a fifth of children and young people not accepted for treatment."In addition, 74 of those with mental health problems were waiting more than a year to be seen and we are deeply concerned about what is happening to the more than a fifth of children and young people not accepted for treatment.
"There is a need for an urgent inquiry to ascertain why these young people are being rejected for treatment and what is happening to them post-rejection."There is a need for an urgent inquiry to ascertain why these young people are being rejected for treatment and what is happening to them post-rejection.
"We need to radically transform mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early to ensure that children and young people are able to realise their full potential.""We need to radically transform mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early to ensure that children and young people are able to realise their full potential."
The spokesman said the coalition welcomed the Scottish government committing an extra £150m in mental health services over the next five years but said more needed to be done.The spokesman said the coalition welcomed the Scottish government committing an extra £150m in mental health services over the next five years but said more needed to be done.
"Families usually experience months of waiting even before a referral to CAMHS," he said."Families usually experience months of waiting even before a referral to CAMHS," he said.
"The consequent delay in diagnosis and appropriate support can lead to a crisis situation for the child or young person concerned, as well as for their family, and the need for costly extra resources to address this.""The consequent delay in diagnosis and appropriate support can lead to a crisis situation for the child or young person concerned, as well as for their family, and the need for costly extra resources to address this."
School counsellingSchool counselling
The Scottish government said the CAMHS workforce had increased by 65%, with the the number of CAMHS psychologists having more than doubled.The Scottish government said the CAMHS workforce had increased by 65%, with the the number of CAMHS psychologists having more than doubled.
Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "This continued reduction in CAMHS waiting times is encouraging, with 10 boards achieving the target this quarter - up from seven at the end of 2016.Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "This continued reduction in CAMHS waiting times is encouraging, with 10 boards achieving the target this quarter - up from seven at the end of 2016.
"However, I'm clear that we must continue to reduce waiting times and I will not be satisfied until our target is met sustainably."However, I'm clear that we must continue to reduce waiting times and I will not be satisfied until our target is met sustainably.
"Our recently published 10-year strategy for mental health sets out a range of measures that focus on prevention and early intervention to meet the mental health needs of children and young people, backed by £150m of funding.""Our recently published 10-year strategy for mental health sets out a range of measures that focus on prevention and early intervention to meet the mental health needs of children and young people, backed by £150m of funding."
She added: "We will also soon commission reviews into school counselling and rejected child and adolescent mental health service referrals, as a foundation for making further improvements."She added: "We will also soon commission reviews into school counselling and rejected child and adolescent mental health service referrals, as a foundation for making further improvements."