Mental Health Provision

It's claimed Scottish health boards are facing a crises when it comes to mental health service provisions.

Scottish Liberal Democrat figures show that more than 16, 500 NHS staff have been signed off in the past two years, that equates to 1, 218 in Fife. 

The party will today call on the Scottish Government to 'face the facts' on mental health care provision in Scotland.

In 2012, the Scottish Government launched a Mental Health Strategy which sets out priorities and commitments to improve mental health services and to promote mental wellbeing and prevent mental illness.

Lib Dem MSPs want the SNP to enshrine in law the equal treatment between mental and physical ill health in order to tackle the stigma attached to mental health and improve provison.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Jim Hume MSP said:

"It's time the SNP Government faced the facts on mental health provision in Scotland. SNP ministers have been in government for seven years but barely anything has been done to improve problems that will affect one in four Scots at some point in their lives.

"Today we have revealed that 16,500 NHS staff have been unable to work at some point in the past two years because of mental health problems.  This is another shocking figure which sheds more light on mental health problems in Scotland.

"Too many people are facing unacceptably long waits for treatment and children are being treated in inappropriate wards because of a shortage of both staff and capacity. I'm concerned that these figures may also show that NHS staff are bearing the brunt of SNP mismanagement of our hospitals.  

"I will be challenging SNP ministers to set out plans for action to ensure our health service reflects the reality of problems faced by patients. So far their approach to mental health provision has fallen woefully short. It is clear that only Scottish Liberal Democrats will build a fairer society by giving mental health services the support they deserve."