Written question WQ90557
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
How many children in Wales are on the waiting list for mental health services, and how many of these have been waiting more than 26 weeks to be seen?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
We publish data on waiting times for a first appointment for Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (sCAMHS) and waiting times for children under 18 years for a Local Primary Mental Health Support Service (LPMHSS) assessment and intervention. The waiting times target for both of these mental health services is 28 days.
Health boards have made improvements in waiting times for sCAMHS, with 89.1 per cent of children and young people waiting less than 4 weeks at the end of November 2023. There remain challenges in waiting times for a therapeutic intervention following an LPMHSS assessment, with 44.7 per cent of under 18s starting their therapeutic intervention within 28 days of an assessment in September 2023.
Each health board has provided new trajectories to improve performance towards targets and to reduce waiting lists. Performance against these trajectories is scrutinised by the NHS Executive on a monthly basis.