Evelyn Tweed MSP Questions Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Local MSP Evelyn Tweed has questioned Humza Yousaf MSP, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, on the latest developments in improving access to CAMHS.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services programme has come under increasing strain throughout the pandemic, and before, with some service users left on waiting lists longer than nationally agreed targets.
Concerned constituents have previously been in touch with Ms Tweed about this issue. Assurances from leadership at NHS Forth Valley offered earlier in the year promised firm action to direct resources to help those who needed it most.
Questioning the Cabinet Secretary in her role on the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Ms Tweed was reassured that significant attention, planning and resources were focussed on the issue.
Funding has also been directed for interventions at much earlier stages of distress, to negate the need for CAMHS crisis interventions. 320 additional mental health workers will be recruited nationwide to the CAMHS programme, along with funding of £29.2 million to Health Boards – £4.25 million specifically to help those already on waiting lists.
Responding to Ms Tweed’s question on the topic of refused referrals, the Cabinet Secretary referenced the 2018 independent audit of the service, carried out by a specialist group. The Scottish Government accepted all the recommendations from this group, implementing national service specifications for CAMHS across Scotland. £15 million in funding to local authorities will also support alternative, locally based mental health interventions to ensure individuals are signposted to one of these local interventions and not left to their own devices in the event of a refused referral.
Evelyn Tweed MSP said:
‘From constituent contacts to expert input, it’s clear that CAMHS will be needed more than ever as Scotland emerges from the pandemic. The impact on the mental health of our young people from almost 2 years of disruption will be unprecedented. Both leadership at NHS Forth Valley, and the Cabinet Secretary, have offered assurances to me that extra resources are being deployed to tackle the backlog and boost capacity to respond to need. Investment in early interventions too can help ease pressure on CAMHS down the line, and I was pleased to hear the Cabinet Secretary describe action on this point too.
‘Refused referrals can cause significant distress to individuals and families, and I was keen to raise this with the Cabinet Secretary. £15 million in funding to boost locally based mental health interventions will help ensure those who are refused a referral to CAMHS, can access other forms of support.’
Notes: A video of the Committee session can be found on Evelyn’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/EvelynTweedSNP/videos/4413104728735094/
More information can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/committee-transcripts/hscs-07-09-2021?meeting=13286
