Proud yet vulnerable – MSP calls for improved access to mental health services for veterans
Veterans on a day out with sailors from the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane.
By Lizzie Healey
In a speech in the Scottish Parliament, Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie, praised veterans for their service and recognised that they were assets to their work places and communities.
She specifically highlighted the lack of access to mental health services for army personnel and veterans. Across health boards, mental health services suffer from long waiting lists and staff shortages, but the MSP has called on the Scottish Government to invest in specialist services for conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Scottish Government has endorsed the UK-wide ‘Strategy for our Veterans’ which aims to support service personnel and their families and ensure that they are not disadvantaged because they have served.
Service personnel often find the transition back to civilian life difficult, and while support is available across the country, for some, access to mental health services can be an important part of that journey.
Jackie Baillie said: “Our service personnel and their families make a huge contribution to communities right across the country. I was pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to the many service families living in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Lomond during the debate.
“It is so important that specialist services are available to veterans when they need them, we must do all that we can to ensure that their transition back to civilian life is as smooth as possible.
“I hope that the Scottish Government will invest in mental health services, and specialist services for veterans in their upcoming budget.”
Veterans on parade during Veterans Day in Dumbarton. Picture by Bill Heaney