SNP missing mental health manifesto commitment

As the Scottish parliamentary year kicks off, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP will use a visit to a charity in a key target seat to say that next year's Holyrood election offers the chance to build the world-class mental health services Scotland deserves and end years of SNP neglect, after it emerged that a key SNP manifesto promise has not been met by a single health board.

On Friday, Mr Cole-Hamilton and candidate for Strathkelvin and Bearsden Adam Harley will meet with representatives from local charity GRACE, which supports people struggling with drug and alcohol use, mental health, social isolation, homelessness and bereavement.

The SNP's 2021 election manifesto included a commitment to invest 10% of the NHS budget in mental health with 1% directed specifically to child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) by the end of the parliamentary session. This was subsequently included in their Programme for Government. However:

• In 2023/24, just two health boards (Tayside and Greater Glasgow & Clyde) were investing 10% of their budget in mental health. Just one health board was meeting the target of 1% for CAMHS (Lothian). No health boards were meeting both parts of the target.

• The health boards spending the smallest percentage on mental health are Shetland (4.46%) and Orkney (2.87%).

• The health boards spending the smallest percentage on CAMHS are Western Isles (0.61%) and Highland (0.4%).

Commenting on the figures, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Next year's Holyrood election offers the chance to build the world-class mental health services Scotland deserves and end years of SNP neglect.

“These new figures show that their key manifesto pledge still hasn’t been met anywhere in Scotland. It’s yet another example of them saying one thing and doing another.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats will always be the party of mental health. We know that the long waits for help are stopping people fulfiling their potential, holding them back in education and in work. It's why we would change that as part of our plan for the NHS and the economy.

"Wherever you are, every Scottish Liberal Democrat elected in seats like Strathkelvin & Bearsden or through the peach regional ballot will deliver more mental health professionals close to where you live, mental health support in schools, and ramp up the training of new staff and mental health first aiders. That's the change that Scotland deserves with fairness at its heart.”