Mental health rejected referrals audit to be published in June

A review of rejected referrals to mental health services for children and young people will be published next month, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister announced an audit in March last year after NHS figures showed thousands of referrals were being rejected each year.

She said the investigation into reasons behind the rejections had to be planned then “painstakingly'' carried out to inform any further work to improve the system.

However Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard criticised ministers for taking more than a year.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, Mr Leonard said: “In the time between the announcement of this review and now there have been a further 5,410 rejected referrals.

“That represents thousands of Scotland's most vulnerable children who have been let down.

“For these young people this has been a wasted year, time they cannot get back.''

He added: “Many of us believe mental health must be given the same priority as physical health.

“But if thousands of children were being referred and rejected for surgery would it really have taken you over a year to find out why.''

Ms Sturgeon said the audit was “progressing well'' and she understood it was due to be published on June 30.

“That will enable us to see what improvements are needed so we can root young people to the most appropriate help and support,'' she said.

“When you undertake to do an audit you have to then painstakingly do the work to complete that audit and inform any further work that has to be done.'