Chamber
Plenary, 06 Jan 2010
06 Jan 2010 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing
A new chief executive letter is about to be issued that will make it clear that there must be flexibility around the guidance. The guidance is simply guidance; it is about a minimum level of intervention. We will issue that letter soon, and it will provide the necessary reassurance that health visitors have their professional expertise and skills to draw on in making judgments. I hope that it will clarify matters.
I am pleased that the committee recognises the priority that we place on the implementation of the mental health of children and young people's framework, which we are working towards full delivery of by 2015. Our aim is to ensure throughout Scotland equity of access to services that are designed to ensure that the right care and treatment are available at the right place and at the right time. We recognise that much more needs to be done, and we are continuing to work closely with NHS boards and their partners as they strive to implement the framework. The mental health delivery and services unit has just completed performance management reviews with each of the boards, and progress on the CAMHS agenda played a major part in the discussions. To respond to Christine Grahame's question, I would be happy to work with the Health and Sport Committee to consider how we can reassure it that progress is being made.
The best test of that progress is how many additional staff have been recruited. We expect a 15 to 20 per cent growth in the workforce, based on the two funding announcements that we have made. I would be happy to report regularly to the Health and Sport Committee on progress on that. That is a good measure of the progress that is being made towards delivery of the framework by 2015. I hope that the committee will be satisfied with that.
NHS boards have also been very much involved in establishing a waiting-time target for referral to treatment by specialist CAMHS, which will be effective from April 2010. By March 2013, no one will wait longer than 26 weeks, although some boards will achieve the target significantly earlier. It is important to remember that the target is directed at the longest waits, which do not represent the experience of all children. Of course, I hope that we can go beyond the 26-week target and meet the national waiting times standard. To achieve that target, NHS boards will need not only to increase capacity by growing the workforce, but to improve the efficiency of the current workforce. Boards must ensure that appropriate data-gathering systems are in place to monitor their performance, and we will support them in doing that through a three-month pilot that will start in January.
I have mentioned resources. We have started to address the shortfall in the specialist workforce by making available an additional £6.5 million to NHS boards over the next three years to enable them to increase the number of psychologists who are working in specialist CAMHS. We are also providing an additional £2 million on a recurring basis to accelerate the development of specialist child and adolescent mental health community services. That means that we will be spending an additional £5.5 million per year by 2011-12. We expect the workforce to be 15 to 20 per cent larger by 2012 on the basis of those funding announcements. It is, therefore, good news that recent CAMHS workforce statistics show an increase of 3 per cent—a small but positive step in the right direction. I am confident that those measures will build on what is already encouraging progress.
I want to touch on some of the other issues in the report, if time allows.
I am pleased that the committee recognises the priority that we place on the implementation of the mental health of children and young people's framework, which we are working towards full delivery of by 2015. Our aim is to ensure throughout Scotland equity of access to services that are designed to ensure that the right care and treatment are available at the right place and at the right time. We recognise that much more needs to be done, and we are continuing to work closely with NHS boards and their partners as they strive to implement the framework. The mental health delivery and services unit has just completed performance management reviews with each of the boards, and progress on the CAMHS agenda played a major part in the discussions. To respond to Christine Grahame's question, I would be happy to work with the Health and Sport Committee to consider how we can reassure it that progress is being made.
The best test of that progress is how many additional staff have been recruited. We expect a 15 to 20 per cent growth in the workforce, based on the two funding announcements that we have made. I would be happy to report regularly to the Health and Sport Committee on progress on that. That is a good measure of the progress that is being made towards delivery of the framework by 2015. I hope that the committee will be satisfied with that.
NHS boards have also been very much involved in establishing a waiting-time target for referral to treatment by specialist CAMHS, which will be effective from April 2010. By March 2013, no one will wait longer than 26 weeks, although some boards will achieve the target significantly earlier. It is important to remember that the target is directed at the longest waits, which do not represent the experience of all children. Of course, I hope that we can go beyond the 26-week target and meet the national waiting times standard. To achieve that target, NHS boards will need not only to increase capacity by growing the workforce, but to improve the efficiency of the current workforce. Boards must ensure that appropriate data-gathering systems are in place to monitor their performance, and we will support them in doing that through a three-month pilot that will start in January.
I have mentioned resources. We have started to address the shortfall in the specialist workforce by making available an additional £6.5 million to NHS boards over the next three years to enable them to increase the number of psychologists who are working in specialist CAMHS. We are also providing an additional £2 million on a recurring basis to accelerate the development of specialist child and adolescent mental health community services. That means that we will be spending an additional £5.5 million per year by 2011-12. We expect the workforce to be 15 to 20 per cent larger by 2012 on the basis of those funding announcements. It is, therefore, good news that recent CAMHS workforce statistics show an increase of 3 per cent—a small but positive step in the right direction. I am confident that those measures will build on what is already encouraging progress.
I want to touch on some of the other issues in the report, if time allows.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan):
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-5453, in the name of Christine Grahame, on the Health and Sport Committee's report, "Inquiry into child a...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Your rebuke is noted by me. I was en route and I apologise.First, I take this opportunity to thank all who gave oral and...
That the Parliament notes the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Health and Sport Committee's 7th Report, 2009 (Session 3):
Report on the Inquiry into child and adolescent mental health and well-being (SP Paper 309).
The Minister for Public Health and Sport (Shona Robison):
SNP
Happy new year to all health colleagues.I thank the committee very much for bringing the important issue of child and adolescent mental health services to th...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab):
Lab
I want to ask specifically about an issue that Christine Grahame rightly raised: that universal screening appears to end at eight weeks. That is not even the...
Shona Robison:
SNP
A new chief executive letter is about to be issued that will make it clear that there must be flexibility around the guidance. The guidance is simply guidanc...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
You have about a minute.
Shona Robison:
SNP
The promotion of mental health among infants, children and young people is one of our six strategic priorities that are set out in "Towards a Mentally Flouri...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab):
Lab
I declare an interest as a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and a member of SAMH.The whole area of children's services has been characterised ove...
Shona Robison:
SNP
Will the member give way?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
I am afraid that the member is about to sit down—even though he may not know it.
Dr Simpson:
Lab
Perhaps the minister can address the point that she was going to make when she sums up at the end of the debate.To conclude—
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
Quickly, please.
Dr Simpson:
Lab
The framework is excellent; the timing is wrong. We need greater urgency on this matter, which must become a higher priority.
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I am sorry to start the year on a negative note but, having listened carefully to the minister, I must say that I was disappointed in what she said. If there...
Shona Robison:
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Mary Scanlon:
Con
I have only 10 seconds left.My granddaughter received the measles, mumps and rubella jab at 15 months and her parents were told to bring her back at the age ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
I am afraid that the member is stretching my patience a little bit.
Mary Scanlon:
Con
The Governments of Wales and Northern Ireland have in place national strategies for school counselling and its implementation, backed by ring-fenced funding ...
Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
Clearly, not being a member of the committee presents me with a slight difficulty. As members know, I am more used to making a winding-up speech than an open...
Shona Robison:
SNP
Does the member acknowledge that the vast majority of children are referred much more quickly than that? The HEAT target is designed to ensure that there is ...
Jamie Stone:
LD
I note what the minister says.As I said just before the minister intervened, we need to ensure that children have timely access to mental health services no ...
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
In the short time available to me I will concentrate on two matters that are covered in the committee's important report, which, sadly, received little publi...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab):
Lab
As the committee's excellent report and the accompanying evidence make clear, there is a great deal of continuity in mental health policy from the previous A...
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP):
SNP
As a couple of members have said, mental health services are often called the Cinderella of our national health service. During the inquiry, I was struck by ...
Dr Simpson:
Lab
Professor James Law of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists said that it was bad not only that the number of referrals from health visitors wa...
Michael Matheson:
SNP
I recall the strong evidence that we received from Professor Law.The visit emphasised for me the real need to ensure not only that adequate services are made...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
The American declaration of independence declares that people have "certain unalienable Rights"and"that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
I can give Cathy Jamieson about four minutes.
Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab):
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for giving me the opportunity to make a brief contribution to the debate. I will focus on adolescents, but first I thank the co...