26th January 2016
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged a £54 million four year plan to improve access to talking therapies for adults and children. Around 10,000 additional patients in Scotland could benefit from these services in the first year, a 25% increase on current figures. It is predicted that an extra 20,000 patients will be seen annually by the end of the plan in 2020.
Health boards will use the money to improve capacity to see more people more quickly, work with Healthcare Improvement Scotland for great efficiency and sustainability of local services, and to improve workforce supply to deliver additional services for children. Of the investment, Sturgeon said: “We have been investing heavily for a number of years, but there is still work to be done, particularly as awareness of mental health issues increases and the stigma of seeking support is reduced.”
Mental Health Foundation Scotland head Lee Knifton gives the moves his full support, remarking that “children and young people face more challenges to their mental health than ever, and demand for services at all levels is high. The evidence is clear that early intervention enables young people to recover quickly, often preventing longer term engagement with services and reducing life chances. Improved access and workforce skills should ensure services are both available and responsive to what young people want and need.”