FEWER than half of people requiring mental health treatment in the Forth Valley are seen by a doctor within 18 weeks of referral.

Offical statistics released by the Information Services Divsion (ISD Scotland) revealed that the local health board are falling way below the national 90 per cent target.

In essence, those who are deemed to require urgent attention in dealing with psychological issues are having to wait more than four months for treatment.

The Scottish Association for Mental Health viewed the recent figures with abject disappointment, arguing prolonged waits can have deleterious effects on a person’s mental wellbeing.

Jo Anderson, the group’s director of external affairs, said: “It is disappointing to learn that fewer than 50 per cent of NHS Forth Valley patients are being seen within 18 weeks. Given the recent figures it is unsurprising the target has been missed.

“The impact of waiting on individuals is significant and we know that many people find it difficult to talk about a mental health problem.

“In fact over a quarter of people will wait more than a year after developing concerns about their mental health before they even seek help.

“To then be told, having built up the courage to ask for help, that you may have to wait for four months or more to begin treatment can be both distressing and detrimental to their mental health.

“In addition to this there is very little information available on the quality and range of treatment provided by NHS Boards and how this impacts patient recovery in Scotland.

“We would like to see greater emphasis on measuring effectiveness of treatments for patients in relation to their recovery.” NHS Forth Valley is one of the poorest performing health boards in Scotland, with just 48.9 per cent of patients beginning mental health treatment within 18 weeks.

However, the health board say they are striving to improve their services by providing better and easier access.

A spokesperson said: “Improving access to psychology services is a key priority and work is already underway to reduce waiting times.

“Additional staff have recently been appointed and extra clinics have been arranged to help see patients with the longest waits.

“As a result, we have seen some improvement in our performance since September 2014 and we expect to see further improvement over the next few months.

“Urgent referrals continue to be prioritised to ensure patients who require immediate support are seen quickly.”