Question reference: S6W-26077
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 8 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25597 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, in light of it stating that "information...on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is not available", how it is also able to state that "1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] start treatment within 10 weeks".
Answer
In question S6W-25597 part of the question asked:
To ask the Scottish Government…. What proportion of [CAMHS] patients have started treatment within 10 weeks of referral…. In each NHS Board for the last three years
Data on patients starting treatment is divided into wait bands. These are divided into 4-wait bands of 0-18 weeks, 19-35 weeks, 36-52 weeks and 53 weeks plus. Information on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is therefore not recorded and as such, is not available. This is why the answer to question S6W-25597 indicated that it was not possible to provide this information.
However the statistic that 1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS start treatment in 10 weeks, is determined using a separate data point. This states that the median treatment time (ie the point at which half of patients begin treatment) for quarter ending September 2023 is 10 weeks. This data is published quarterly and monthly and changes frequently, as such the answer to S6W-25597 cannot be derived using this data point.
As indicated in the previous answer, this information is compiled and held by Public Health Scotland and as such they may hold further data which may be able to help given the technical nature of your query.