Willie Rennie criticises mental health policy ‘complacency’
Liberal Democrats have demanded a "step change'' in mental health care as the party claimed almost half the additional funding the Scottish Government has pledged is still to be allocated.
Liberal Democrats have demanded a "step change'' in mental health care as the party claimed almost half the additional funding the Scottish Government has pledged is still to be allocated.
Willie Rennie criticised the Scottish Government's "complacency'' on the issue as he campaigned in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament election.
Ministers pledged an additional £150 million to improve mental health care in 2015 but Scottish Government officials told the party just over £80 million of this money has been earmarked for specific projects.
The remainder of the money will be "considered as part of the development of the forthcoming mental health strategy'', the civil servants added.
Mr Rennie said: "Last year the SNP announced £150 million in funding for mental health with great fanfare but we are now in the middle of 2016 and we still have no idea how half of it is going to be spent.
"Almost £70 million remains unallocated. Meanwhile, children are still being asked to wait more than a year for crucial treatments. This is just not good enough.''
Mr Rennie spoke out as he campaigned with Lib Dem health spokesman Jim Hume in the Borders town of Duns.
"Scotland's last mental health strategy expired at the end of last year and we don't know when the next one will be introduced,'' Mr Rennie said.
"The share of the NHS budget we spend treating mental ill-health has fallen every year since 2009. The SNP's approach to mental ill-health takes complacency to new levels.
"Liberal Democrats have been clear that we need a step change in the way that we treat mental ill-health in Scotland.
"That is why we would double funding for child and adolescent mental health services, embed 960 new mental health professionals with GPs and put new mental health support in A&E departments.
"People struggling with mental ill-health cannot wait on the SNP to deliver the support they need."