Thank you very much for contacting me about Mind Cymru’s “Sort the Switch” campaign.
Despite the Labour Welsh Government claiming that the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is “a priority”, the reality is different. Children and young people are waiting longer for mental health services and, in some Health Boards, well over 9 in 10 are waiting more than the target time for assessments.
My colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives are deeply concerned that this is not a new problem in Wales – four years ago, the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee identified difficulties within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and, in 2021, heard evidence from young people who said that transitioning from child to adolescent mental health services felt like “jumping off a cliff edge”. Furthermore, interviewees told the Committee that the way the current system is structured means that there is no continuity for the young person involved and that struggling young people can feel abandoned when transitioning between services.
I recognise that COVID-19 has had an impact on CAMHS and specialist CAMHS waiting times. However, recovering from COVID requires a real step change into mental health services – and this includes a review into the suitability of CAMHS to support children and young people, as well as the transition to adult mental health services. Geographically, there are some areas of best practice, but this needs to be replicated across Wales, and significant work in some health boards needs to be carried out.
You may be aware that, on 18 May, Welsh Conservatives held a debate on mental health services for children and young people, and raised concerns about CAMHS with the Deputy Minister directly. We are disappointed that the Deputy Minister has brushed off the very real concerns of children and young people in her response, but delighted that the Welsh Parliament supported our motion. Please also be assured that my colleague, the Shadow Minister for Mental Health, James Evans MS, will continue to press the Deputy Minister on this important matter.
Thank you again for taking the time to write to me.