Mental health services to get £85m boost

The Scottish Government will invest an extra £85m in mental health services over the next five years, it has been announced.

There has been an increase in demand for services over recent years, thought to be a symptom of increased awareness and more people seeking help.

The investment will focus on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), improving responses in primary care and improving patient rights as part of the forthcoming Mental Health Bill.

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“These are some of the most vulnerable people in our county and it’s vital that the health service is properly equipped to give them the support and treatment they need,” said Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health.

Scottish Labour branded the scheme “smoke and mirrors” after years of under-funding.

Dr Richard Simpson, Shadow Public and Mental Health Minister called the announcement “pure spin” at a time when there has been no increase in CAMHS consultants since 2009.

“There is a pattern of SNP cuts followed by only partial restoration. It simply isn’t good enough. These smoke and mirror adjustment to budgets cannot hide the reality of a growing crisis in mental health services with CAMHS targets in particular being missed by most Boards,” he said.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume said the Government needed a more serious long term plan when it came to mental health.

 “We know that GPs are not referring patients for therapies because the therapies simply aren't there,” he said.

He also revealed figures which show the number of specially-trained social workers, who advocate an individual’s rights when faced with detentions due to mental ill health, is at its lowest since the SNP came into power.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland said the new funds should be invested in long-term solutions.

Associate Director, Norman Provan pointed to the example of the nurse who left the NHS to set up the charity COPE, which builds resilience in local people in Drumchapel in Glasgow. “While such innovative services make a huge difference, they are often subject to funding cuts, and don’t know how long they’ll be open and providing much-needed support. They and the people who rely on their services need to know that they will continue in the future,” he said.