MORE staff will be hired to help children with mental health problems in Scotland.
Ministers today announced plans to plough an extra £15m into NHS services for people with psychological illnesses, particularly young people who struggle with a range of issues from anorexia to addictions. The announcement follows concern about how long children and adolescents have to wait to see specialists. Some health boards are still struggling to ensure patients have appointments scheduled within six months of a GP referral.
Some of the £15m, which is being spread over three years, will be used to create a mental health innovation fund which will look at new ways to support affected children, teenagers and adults outside of hospitals.
Billy Watson, chief executive of charity the Scottish Association for Mental Health, said the new money was particularly welcome at a time when mental health organisations are facing cuts.
He said: "We welcome this announcement of three year investment in mental health services. This is good news for people with mental health problems who need support in their recovery.
"We are particularly pleased to see innovation and primary (community) care elements to this investment announcement as we believe things need to change. Supporting people at the earliest opportunity is something we have been vocal about for some time. This is particularly welcome for frontline services at a time when many mental health organisations across Scotland are experiencing significant cuts."
Outlining the plans, Michael Matheson, minister for public health, said the extra money would help people get better support at an early stage of their illness. He explained: "Demand for mental health services has increased in recent years, and we must ensure that they continue to be effective and that people are getting the help they need."
The latest official figures show that between April and June this year 3,400 children and young people started treatment with mental health services. More than one in ten had waited more than six months to be seen.
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