Professor John Robertson OBA
From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting timesQuarter ending September 2025, published yesterday, but still not reported by BBC Scotland 24 hours later, the above graph and:
91.5% of people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is a decrease from 91.8% for the previous quarter and an increase from 89.1% for the same quarter ending September 2024. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS. The chart below shows performance in relation to this target over the past 4 years, illustrating the target was first achieved in quarter ending December 2024.
50% of those starting treatment started within 5 weeks of referral, which is the same as the previous quarter, but a decrease from 6 weeks for quarter ending September 2024. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times-quarter-ending-september-2025/
How has the MSM reacted to previous reports like this? Tried to suggest that these data should include neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD despite these being clearly not mental health conditions – desperate.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Your final paragraph gets to the nub of this. Reform UK is claiming that most mental health issues are false. Ergo, the mainstream media must ‘reflect’ that stance.
So, even though there was an opportunity to headline that NHS Scotland’s provision had PLUMMETED by 0.3%, it had to forego it because it would have given credence to the fact that such mental health issues really exist.
Similarly, it has not given much attention to the funding of SEND provision in England, the funding responsibility for which was removed from Councils and will be met by Westminster. The main reasons were their ‘outrage’ at Reeves’ alleged lie and the alleged support of ‘shirkers at the expense or workers’, but to publicise the fact that SEND provision is – somehow – going to be maintained is not something the feel they can attack since large numbers of parents want it.
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