Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament am ar 19 Mehefin 2024.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response, and I know that he is highlighting improvements, but there is a mental health crisis among our young people. The Scottish Government has repeatedly pledged action, but, when we look at the other stats, we see that nothing has changed.
NHS Fife’s latest data, from March 2024, shows that there are still 41 young people waiting up to 35 weeks for a follow-up appointment following a referral; that figure has barely moved from the 47 young people who were waiting for more than 35 weeks in March last year. Even more worrying is the fact that, during the same period, 31 per cent of referrals were rejected altogether, leaving many to seek help from charities, and that is almost identical to the 33 per cent that was recorded in the previous year.