amphoto – Rhoda Grant MSP Parliamentary Business Manager and Women and Equality spokesperson as the new Labour Shadow Cabinet is appointed at Holyrood today 19/12/17 Rhoda Grant MSP Scottish Labour Party Highlands and Islands Regional list member at Holyrood in Edinburgh. ( Spelling NOT Roda Grant MSP nor Rona Grant MSP). No Syndication No Sales Picture © ALLAN MILLIGAN Friday 24th February 2017 mobile 07884 26 78 79 e-mail – a 3 f i v e m ( a t) g m a i l (d o t ) c o m …covering Politics in Scotland….
Labour MSP Rhoda Grant and LibDem MSP Willie Rennie – concerned about funding for mental health.
By Bill Heaney
Labour MSP Rhoda Grant and parliamentry colleagues are seeking assurances from the Scottish Government that 10 per cent of front-line national health service spending is on mental health services.
Tom Arthur, the new SNP Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing, told Ms Grant: “We continue to work with national health service boards and integration joint boards towards delivery of the commitment that at least 10 per cent of front-line health spending will be dedicated to mental health by the end of this parliamentary session [May next year].
“The latest available cost book data confirmed that NHS expenditure on mental health has increased by £179.6 million to £1.486 billion in 2023-24. That is 9.03 per cent of total net expenditure, up from 8.53 per cent in 2022-23.
“Although we remain committed to the delivery of the target, as we all know, there are continued and unprecedented challenges to public finances. Despite those pressures, since 2006, mental health spending across the NHS has doubled in cash terms, from £651 million in 2006-07 to more than £1.49 billion in 2023-24.”
But Ms Grant pressed him: “The Scottish Government pledged that boards should spend 1 per cent of their budget on child and adolescent mental health services. However, I understand that only one board has achieved that, while NHS Highland is spending only 0.37 per cent of its budget on CAMHS.
“Young people are spending years of their childhood on waiting lists, while others are being rejected from the service altogether. When will all boards fulfil that pledge, and when will the lengthy CAMHS waiting times be dealt with?”
Tom Arthur claimed: “My officials have been engaged on the matter. I confirm to Rhoda Grant that I will meet NHS Highland in the near future, as well as all the other territorial health boards, because I want to work constructively and in partnership to ensure that all our health boards meet those spending targets.”
The SNP’s Colin Beattie MSP asked: “Will the minister outline how the Scottish budget—which Ms Grant and her colleagues did not even engage with, let alone vote for—provides record funding for mental health services across Scotland, and how that will benefit thousands across Scotland to access crucial services?”
Tom Arthur replied: “As I set out in my initial response, since 2006, mental health spending by NHS Scotland has more than doubled in cash terms. The most recent figures show that spend was £1.486 billion in 2023-24.
“Mental health is an absolute priority for this Government. Even in the context of the past few difficult financial years, we have continued to invest wisely. That is evidenced by statistics that show that we have the best national performance ever recorded for CAMHS waiting times, and that we have record numbers of staff providing more varied mental health support and services to a larger number of people than ever before.”
LibDem MSP Willie Rennie commented: “Working towards delivery, when there is only one year to go before the end of this Government’s term in office, is simply not good enough. Fife is well down the league table in relation to spending on mental health and on CAMHS. The effect on other services, including the police, is dramatic, as is the effect on the economy, with lots of people unable to work, because this Government cannot give them the support that they need.
“When will there be a renewed focus on making sure that mental health is the priority that it deserves to be?”
Tom Arthur, one of the new recruits to the SNP Cabinet, said: “I recognise the seriousness of the issues that Mr Rennie raises, and I want to assure him that, although I have been in post fewer than 24 hours, I have already been actively engaging with my officials to take those matters forward.
“We have seen an increase in spending on front-line mental health services—that much I have already referred to in my original answers. However, I recognise and appreciate that there is variation between boards, which will, ultimately, be part of any complex system that we are dealing with.
“As I set out in my original answer to Rhoda Grant, I am committed to meeting all boards over the course of the summer, because I want to ensure that, collectively across Scotland, we are all working to meet those spending targets by the end of the parliamentary session.”
Top of page: Gartnavel Royal Hospital at Annisland in Glasgow provides mental health services for West Dunbartonshire.
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