Lib Dems blame 'long-term lack of funding' for adding to mental health crisis
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Holyrood candidate Molly Nolan has blamed "a long-term lack of funding" for adding to a growing mental health crisis in the Highlands and across Scotland.
Ms Nolan, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, is behind a campaign to secure greater support for mental health services – including a review of the Scottish Government's Mental Health Strategy.
She warned that lockdown had made the situation increasingly difficult for many people.
Her campaign, which has around 300 signatures, addresses a survey by the Caithness-based Social Isolation and Mental Wellbeing Action Group which revealed that 65.3 per cent of respondents in the county have had a poor experience with mental health support.
The report cited waiting times and lack of access to counselling and professional services as the top reasons respondents felt unsupported. Those concerns have also been expressed to Ms Nolan through casework.
Her challenge to ministers came after MSPs united against the government to vote in favour of a Lib Dem motion recognising that there is a mental health crisis in Scotland.
Ms Nolan said: “Many people in the Highlands, particularly young people, are missing out on the mental health support that they need because of a long-term lack of funding.
“Local groups have been working incredibly hard to improve this situation. But Covid-19 has shown that widespread support is required now more than ever.
“Lockdown is increasingly difficult for people and it will be made all the worse this year as a result of the ongoing uncertainty.
"The Scottish Government must commit to an urgent review of the Mental Health Strategy to ensure local communities are properly supported as we navigate our way out of this crisis.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "Frontline staff working tirelessly know there is a mental health crisis. Those waiting an age for the support they need know it, and now parliament has formally recognised it too.
"It was true before the pandemic struck, and it is certainly true now.
"For the same reason MSPs have declared a climate emergency and a drugs-death crisis, parliament needed to do this to drive change, to ramp up services and to improve interventions and prevention.
"I hope that this can now be a platform for the transformation of mental health that Scottish Liberal Democrats have consistently fought for. It is time to get on with ending long journeys and waits for treatment, expanding the mental health workforce and getting you fast access to help whenever you need it."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Mental health support was already an absolute priority for the Scottish Government before the pandemic – but we have further responded to the negative impact we know Covid-19 has had on many people’s mental health.
“Our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan, published in October, sets out a wide range of ongoing actions to address the current and future impacts of the pandemic. That includes the remobilisation and renewal of NHS mental health services.
“In addition, the finance secretary last month announced a £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund, taking overall spending on mental health in 2021/22 to over £1.2 billion. The fund will prioritise our ongoing work to improve specialist CAMHS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services], address long waiting times and clear waiting-list backlogs. Nearly £10 million will also be allocated to clearing backlogs in psychological therapies waiting lists for adults.
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have provided support and advice through the Clear Your Head campaign. We have also provided immediate support for those experiencing distress by making access the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We also continued to prioritise suicide prevention and are taking forward the recommendations from our National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group on responding to the pandemic. This includes developing more timely data on suicides to inform local and national responses.
“A number of boards are receiving a tailored programme of enhanced support based on current CAMHS and psychological therapies performance, and that includes NHS Highland.
“Mental health minister Clare Haughey has also welcomed the publication of the final report of the Independent Review into the Delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services.”
