Under consideration PE2231: CAMHS Staff Need Resources, Children Need Assessments
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to provide targeted funding for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) neurodevelopmental services, in order for additional staff to be recruited and trained, for transparent waiting-time data to be published, and for maximum waiting-time standards for ADHD and autism assessments to be introduced so that no child is left waiting years for support.
Background information
A family member was referred to CAMHS Midlothian for an ADHD assessment on 22 March 2022 and triaged on 7 June 2022. More than four years later, he is still waiting for an assessment, with very limited communication from the service.
Following a complaint in 2025, I was informed by a senior CAMHS clinician that increasing demand, staffing shortages and insufficient resources were contributing to long waits for neurodevelopmental assessments. Despite being told the wait would likely be measured in weeks rather than months, he remains on the waiting list over a year later.
This is not solely about my family member. Their experience demonstrates a wider national problem affecting thousands of Scottish children and families. Long waits delay access to support and leave families without answers. Increased investment in CAMHS neurodevelopmental services is needed to reduce waiting times and improve access to assessments across Scotland.
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