Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Referrals)

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 23 March 2017.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon Scottish National Party

All children who are referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services are assessed on an individual basis. If, as a result of an assessment, a clinician did not believe that CAMHS was the best course, we would expect the child to be referred to an appropriate service.

As the chamber is aware, the Minister for Mental Health will next week bring forward our new 10-year mental health strategy. I am able to tell the chamber today that an early action of that strategy will be to commission an audit of rejected referrals. Its findings will help to ensure that children are being referred to the right services and that those services can provide the help that children need.