Mental health should be at the heart of Scotland’s healthcare systems, the Scottish Greens have said.
The Scottish Greens manifesto will include proposals to allocate 10% of frontline health spend to mental health by 2026, invest an additional £161 million into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and expand access to remedies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Social Prescribing.
The party also want more focus on a preventative agenda.
Launching the policy, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Just like physical health, everyone can have poor mental health at some point in their lives, and the pandemic has been a difficult year for so many. We’ve seen how important access to green space and the outdoors is to our wellbeing.
“The Scottish Greens will pursue an ambitious preventative agenda, but also invest in the treatments people often wait too long for. We need to ensure everyone who needs mental health support has quick and easy access to it, which is why we want to allocate 10% of frontline health spend to mental health services. We need to prioritise support for children and young people, ensure mental health support is available at all GP practices, and expand access to remedies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Social Prescribing.
“We need a fair and green recovery from the pandemic which puts wellbeing at the centre.”
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