Email from Shona Robinson Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport (pre May 5th)

Dear Ms Milligan, Thank you for your email. If re-elected as the Scottish Government for the next five years, the SNP are committed to working to transform the support available for people facing mental health issues. We have made great strides in mental health care in recent years, Funding has been increased by almost 40 per cent since 2006, the number of child psychology posts has more than doubled and we have recently announced a £50 million investment to improve waiting times for treatment. But demand is also increasing and we must take action over the next Parliament to further improve mental health care in our communities, to support people living with mental health challenges and in particular to help young people who face mental health issues. We are committed to working with mental health charities, stakeholders and service used to put in place a ten-year plan to transform mental health care in Scotland including for children and young people. We will ensure mental health conditions and physical health conditions are treated with parity, re-enforcing existing legislation. We will shift the balance of funding towards mental health services and invest at least £150 million more over the next five years, and we will recruit health link workers in GP practices. We will also ensure that the principle of “ask once, get help fast” is in force across the country by the end of the Parliament. No one should be put at risk by a failure to get the help they need when they need it. As part of our ten-year plan, we will examine innovative ways to deliver better mental health services for children and young people, bringing together healthcare and education, to ensure faster treatment without stigma. We will make sure devolved social security services are suitable for people with mental health conditions, and ensure that our employment and welfare programmes will be designed to take account of mental health conditions and bring an end to the difficulties people face with the DWP. I hope that this answers any concerns you have and lays out the SNP’s plans for Scotland’s mental health services if re-elected. Best regards, Shona