IMPROVE DISTRIBUTION OF MENTAL HEALTH FUNDS - FINNIE

Written by Ross Finnie on Thu 14th May 2009

IMPROVE DISTRIBUTION OF MENTAL HEALTH FUNDS - FINNIE

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Ross Finnie MSP has called for improved distribution of the money spent on mental health services with more being invested in community facilities.

Mr Finnie's call comes after the Audit Scotland report, Overview of mental health services, published today (Thursday) highlights the long waits to access certain services, particularly services for older and younger people, and shows that some areas lack of out-of-hours and crisis care.

Commenting, Mr Finnie said:

"This report makes it clear that the distribution of available funds for dealing with mental health does not reflect the fact that services are increasingly being provided in the community.

"Liberal Democrats want to see more money invested in community services to meet local needs and tackle problems such as a lack of out-of-hours services and access to crisis cover in some areas.

"The report also found that spending may not always related to need. For example, spending by NHS Lanarkshire is approximately £120 per head of population compared with £220 spent by NHS Glasgow and Clyde, despite both areas having similar levels of deprivation.

"Ministers must work with health boards and local authorities to make sure that resources are being targeted effectively to meet local needs."

Ends.