Sixteen and seventeen year olds
The 2005 report, 'The Mental Health of Children and Young People: A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care', clearly recommended that those commissioning services for young people should consider the needs of all young people up to the age of 18. The Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 also places a duty on NHS Boards to make age appropriate mental health treatment available, and provide sufficient services and accommodation to meet the needs of any child or young person under 18 who is admitted to hospital. The recent Audit Scotland report, 'Overview of Mental Health Services' also commented that a number of NHS Boards had still not implemented the recommendation from the framework report.
In the meetings with CAMH services which were arranged as part of this themed visit we asked about the operational criteria for referrals to CAMH services for young people aged 16-17. It was clear from these discussions and from copies of referral criteria we had asked services to provide us with, that arrangements continue to vary across Scotland. In two NHS Board areas CAMH service provision is only available up to the person's 16th birthday. In seven NHS Boards a service is provided up to 18th birthday (and sometimes beyond) In the rest of the health board areas a service is available in all or part of the area up to 18th birthday if still in full time education
Recommendation
Different arrangements within different NHS Board areas disadvantage many young people across the country. All NHS Boards should provide CAMH services to young people up to their 18th birthday, unless clinical need indicates otherwise in a particular case.
