Edinburgh’s community mental health support faces catastrophic cuts, ending services across the city and leaving thousands of people without help.

These services change and save lives and, if the proposed cuts go ahead, more than 4,000 people face having essential mental health support removed.

Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB), the body which makes health and social care budget decisions for the city, is meeting on August 26 and proposals before them recommend cutting the full £2.2m spent on these services (through The Thrive Collective) across the city – with no replacement provision to fill the gaps this will create.

The Thrive Collective creates over £7 of social value for every £1 spent, an incredible return on investment. Cutting these services will put extra pressure on other services – like GPs and hospitals – which are already overstretched, and which will cost the EIJB more money further down the line.

Cutting these services, which are a lifeline for many people and their families, will devastate Edinburgh’s mental health.

We, the signatories to this petition:

• Are clear that we value community mental health support as part of a holistic approach that puts people and their health first
• Oppose these short-sighted cuts and ask all members of the EIJB to vote against these proposals
• Ask that the EIJB commit to working with service providers and the people they support to co-design a better solution for Edinburgh’s mental health.

Have community mental health services helped you? Share your experiences by commenting and help us demonstrate how lifesaving and valuable these services are to Edinburgh residents.

To leave a comment below, sign the petition and log in to add your thoughts.