Alex Leads Charge on Young People's Mental Health Waits

Local Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton is leading cross party efforts to tackle massive waiting times for young people in need of mental health diagnosis and treatment.

Alex pulled together a group of local Edinburgh MSPs to write a joint letter to NHS Lothian demanding answers as to why children, in need of assessment for ADHD in particular, are waiting 7 years for diagnosis and why, when their families are paying for private diagnosis, they are being told they can no longer enter a shared care arrangement with an NHS GP.

Alex said, “Young people are being asked to wait for so long they are becoming adults and no longer qualify for children’s services and support. In the most extreme cases this is a matter of life and death, yet the government keep cutting mental health budgets.

This is too important for party politics that’s why I’m determined to work in lock step with fellow MSPs to get movement on the reality facing so many young people and their families.”