Answering a question on the subject from Senator Steve Pallett in the States, Deputy Richard Renouf said the longest waiting time was currently for those requiring high-intensity support from Jersey Talking Therapies, with 106 people currently on the waiting list – the longest for 13 months.
There were 18 people waiting for an initial assessment with the confidential therapy service, with the longest waiting time being five weeks. Nineteen people were waiting for low-intensity support, with the person waiting longest having been on the list for ten weeks.
Other waiting times, he said, were as follows:
- Listening Lounge – waiting times set at a maximum of 48 hours.
- Average wait for a first appointment with the Adult Mental Health team – four weeks, with emergency referrals seen within 24 hours.
- Average wait for older adult mental-health services – ten days, with urgent appointments within 24 hours.
- Memory-assessment services – currently six months wait.
- The Health Minister said he had no specific data which showed whether more people had sought help since the latest Covid-19 measures were implemented.
However, he added: ‘It is the case that a number of people have been impacted by the pandemic since the spring and are seeking help both from our services and from the charitable sector offering these services.’
