Kids’ mental health target missed by 1.3m days in just one year

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today demanded immediate action to combat Scotland’s mental health emergency, as he revealed that the Scottish Government's mental health treatment time target for children and young people was breached by more than 1.3m days last year. 

His call comes as Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information requests reveal: 

• Since April 2019, the 18-week treatment time target has been breached by a cumulative 3,998,301 days, including 1,390,856 days last year alone. This is more than twice the pre-pandemic level, when the total stood at 648,639 days for the whole year. 
• NHS Borders waiting time target breaches have increased from 1,680 days in 2019/20 to 56,756 days in 2022/23, while NHS Lanarkshire increased from 71,177 days in 2019/20 to 424,023 days in 2022/23.
• NHS Lothian has recorded 1,224,839 days of treatment time target breaches since April 2019. 

Mr Cole-Hamilton commented: 

“Humza Yousaf gave a personal commitment to clear mental health waiting lists by last spring. These figures show exactly what his word is worth. 

“For children in need and those who love them, these long waits must feel like a lifetime. I cannot believe that the Greens and SNP are cutting another £30m from mental health budgets this winter. 

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are the party of mental health. We secured extra funding and led the way in getting the Scottish Parliament to declare a mental health emergency. 

“The First Minister should today adopt our proposals for more counsellors in schools, a single point of contact for those on waiting lists, and the rollout of more mental health professionals in GP surgeries and A&E departments near you.”