Question reference: S6W-26527
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 27 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26076 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024, whether it will confirm if the data provided on waiting times includes those referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for both mental health issues and neurodevelopmental issues.
Answer
As set out in the most recent Public Health Scotland (PHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times quarterly publication, CAMHS is classified as multi-disciplinary teams that provide treatment and interventions for children and young people experiencing mental health problems.
Where they are awaiting an assessment for a neurodevelopmental condition such as ASD or ADHD, they may not be considered for CAMHS because they do not meet the National Referral Criteria described in the CAMHS national service specification standards. Broadly these state that if a child is presenting with mental health problems that are causing significant impact on their day-to-day lives and other approaches are not appropriate. However in some individual cases, it may be the case that patients with neurodevelopmental conditions are still reported under CAMHS as long as they fit the specification criteria.