Mental health quality indicator profile

About this release

• This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS), presents information on mental health quality indicators in support of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 and Core Mental Health Standards. Originally developed as a standard publication (previous versions available here), the dashboard has been developed to provide enhanced visualisation, sub-national data analysis (where available), and improved interaction for users. The Mental Health Quality Indicators (MHQI) publication was created to provide an overview of mental health services across Scotland, by combining previously published and new information into a single profile, supporting Action 38 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027. The dashboard will be regularly updated when data is available, when further indicators have been developed, and when new indicators are identified which fall under its remit.
• Plans for development can be found on the front page of the main dashboard for the publication

Main points

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• In Scotland in 2023/24, there were 118,841 occupied bed days associated with delays to the discharge of patients admitted as an inpatient to mental health specialties, compared to 111,130 bed days for 2022/23. The rate of delayed discharge among those aged 18+ increased to 25.0 per 1,000 population in 2023/2024, compared to 24.9 per 1,000 in 2022/23.
• Over four fifths (84.1%) of children and young people started treatment by specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within 18 weeks of referral in the quarter ending 30 June 2024, this is a decrease from 86.0% in the previous quarter, but an increase from the 73.8% for the quarter ending 30 June 2023.
• 34.2% of under 18-year-old psychiatric admissions were admitted as an inpatient outwith NHS specialist CAMHS wards during the year-long period ending 31 March 2024. This compares with 30.1% during the year ending 31 March 2023, and 35.5% during the year ending 31 March 2022.
• The total number of average available staffed beds per day for all psychiatric specialties in 2023/24 in Scotland was 3,574 beds (i.e. 64.9 psychiatric beds per 100,000 population), a decrease from 66.7 beds per 100,000 population in 2022/23

Background

This MHQI release is the first version of the publication to be presented in a dashboard format and the first to provide outputs at a sub-national level where data is available. The dashboard will continue to be developed with enhanced visualisation with updated data released on a quarterly basis.

Further information

The next release of this publication is to be confirmed, however publication will be on a quarterly basis once the next publication date is confirmed.