Campaign and petition email responses

We Must Protect Babies' and Childrens' Mental Health

As you may be aware, Health is a devolved matter to the Scottish Parliament.

Ensuring that children, young people and their families have access to the right mental health and wellbeing support at the right time is a key priority for the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government have provided local authorities with £15 million per annum to fund community-based mental health supports for children and young people and their families and their carers, as an alternative service where CAMHS is not required. They continue to ensure that every secondary school has access to school counselling services.

With substantial investment, the Scottish Government have record numbers of staff providing more varied support and services to a larger number of people than ever before.

Following record-breaking investment in CAMHS last year, the latest statistics show 4,990 children and young people began treatment in the last quarter - the second highest number ever recorded, behind only the all-time high of the previous quarter.

The Scottish Government are continuing to fund NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub who, since July 2020, have responded to over 200,000 calls - approximately 2,500 calls a week. This was backed by additional funding of £4.9m in 2021/22, with funding continuing this year.

The Scottish Government have invested £18m in perinatal mental health programmes from 2019-2022 - including £1m per year to provide peer support, counselling and befriending to over 7,000 parents, expectant parents and infants.

Under the SNP, mental health spending has almost doubled in cash terms [£651m in 2006/07 to £1.25bn in 2020/21 – up 92%]. The Scottish Government will publish a Mental Health Workforce Plan in Spring 2023, helping to plan, attract, retain, employ and nurture the mental health workforce.

The Scottish Government will also deliver a Student Mental Health Plan in Spring 2023, with the Student Mental Health and Well Being Working Group, chaired by the Minister for Higher Education, driving this work forward. The Plan will provide a framework for mental health services in universities and colleges and will be linked to the wider Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.