For immediate release:

MSP WELCOMES RECORD LEVELS OF MENTAL HEALTH STAFF

Rutherglen MSP and mental health nurse Clare Haughey has welcomed recent figures which show that staffing in Scotland’s psychology and children & young people’s mental health care services is at a record high.

The most recent figures available, from the 31st December 2017, show there were 1,138.5 whole-time equivalent (WTE) staff in psychology services – a 79% increase since September 2006. In Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), there were 1,013.9 WTE clinical staff, an increase of a third since September 2009. In particular, the number of psychologists working in CAMHS has more than doubled in the past ten years.

Scottish Government figures released on the same day show the number of doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and support staff working across Scotland’s hospitals and in communities increased by almost 1,000 in the past year.

SNP MSP Clare Haughey argues the figures show the Scottish Government’s “commitment to providing the best quality health care anywhere in the UK”.

Commenting, Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey said:

“Scotland has seen a significant increase in the number of well-trained professionals entering the mental health care workforce. This is the result of sustained investment, and modernised and expanded training.

“As a mental health nurse myself, I have seen first-hand how the demand for mental health services is increasing as people become more aware of both mental health problems and of the care available, as well as the stigma surrounding them reducing.

“The increase in staffing figures shows the Scottish Government’s commitment in providing the best quality health care anywhere in the UK.”

ENDS
Notes:

The figures on mental health staffing can be found on the following link:

Click to access 2018-03-06-CAMHS-Report.pdf

The figures on health staffing can be found on the following link:

Click to access 2018-03-06-Workforce-Report.pdf

Date published: 8th March 2018