A children's mental health service once described as ‘not fit for purpose’ has slashed its waiting list.
But Huddersfield and Kirklees children with depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, are still waiting almost three times as long for treatment as is recommended by health experts.
And Kirklees mental health chiefs say it will be ‘challenging’ to cut the waiting time for specialist treatment to the recommended length.
There is currently a four-month wait for NHS treatment provided by South West Yorkshire Foundation Trust (SWYFT).
According to NHS guidelines the recommended wait between a referral and a first appointment is six weeks.
Local children’s mental health campaigner, Martin Kilgallon of the Whole Autism Family, said while the reduction in waiting times was an improvement, services needed to be consistent.
Mr Kilgallon, of Mirfield, said: “It’s an improvement on where they were, but the question is that following the four months’ wait to see someone, how long does it then take to get an actual diagnosis?”
Mr Kilgallon, who has two autistic sons, said: “Or are the CCG (clinical commissioning group) going to fund it short-term, clear some of the list and then run out of funding and allow the same to happen again?
“This is the concern – there’s no consistency.
“The CCG need to stop wasting time and money with CAMHS and invest into a process that delivers on efficiency and provides a service to patients.”
The reduction in waiting times follows the launch of a five-year ‘transformation plan’ worth over £1m.
As a result extra staff have been employed and SWYFT expects to treat almost 300 more children this year.
In May 2015, SWYFT chiefs admitted that their children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) were ‘not fit for purpose’.
But earlier this year the trust slashed its waiting list for ‘intervention’ treatments from 14 months and seven months.
And while the figure has improved still, Kirklees mental health commissioning manager, Tom Brailsford, said it would be ‘challenging’ to meet the six-week target.
Mr Brailsford told Kirklees councillors and health chiefs: “They are still longer than we would like but they are better than what they were.”
He added: “It’s four months to treatment rather than six weeks, so it’s going to be challenging.”#
