Figures published on Tuesday show that 958 whole time equivalent (WTE) mental health workers have been recruited for deployment to hospitals, GP practices, police station custody suites and prisons.
This exceeds the target of 800 set in the SNP Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-27.
The staff will ensure people have access to appropriate mental health care in a variety of settings, recognising the life-changing benefits of fast, effective treatment.
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“With around one in three people affected in any one year, mental illness is a hugely important public health challenge in Scotland.
“Having so much additional staff is helping the SNP Government to prioritise and treat mental health problems, improving the quality of life for individuals and communities and helping the economy.
“In addition, having extra staff is good for the wellbeing of mental health workers as it relieves some of the pressures on them.
“The SNP Government has invested nearly £84 million to enable recruitment to these posts, and exceeding the target of 800 WTE staff has been achieve in spite of the unprecedented impacts of the pandemic on our health and social care services.”
ENDS
