Our child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), like health and care services across the country, continue to experience unprecedented levels of pressure.
The pressures are largely the result of a large rise in the number of people requiring urgent unscheduled care, which is impacting on planned care and leading to increased waiting times.
However, those with the most clinical need, high risk and urgent cases continue to be seen as a priority and do not go on a waiting list. This relates to young people with life-threatening presentations of suicidality, significant deliberate self-harm, eating disorders and acute psychiatric presentations.
New referrals are reviewed each day and allocated to clinicians or waiting list according to clinical need. Families may be directed towards other appropriate community health and social care supports.
Emer Shepherd, general manager, specialist children’s health services, Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire, said: “We are tackling these pressures head on while also redesigning the service, so that we can quickly and flexibly meet the needs of the young people we see and empower them to lead a healthy life in their communities.
“The recovery process, by necessity, is a gradual process for many services and this includes CAMHS. It’s important that people are aware of this and why it will take time to return to normal as we adapt to the disruption caused by Covid-19.
“Many of the initiatives and transformations which are being developed and embedded now will play a key role in helping us shape the CAMHS service going forward. This approach is vital to ensure we deliver the services the young people of Lanarkshire need while providing extra clarity for partners and stakeholders.
“Throughout the pandemic, CAMHS staff have been exceptional. The wider healthcare system is under a great deal of pressure just now, however our teams are working incredibly hard to continue delivering a high standard of safe and effective care.
“As a service, we are determined to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”
