Ear we go: Greens want mental health to be at the heart of NHS

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie was at the North Kelvin meadow and children’s wood in Glasgow yesterday where he set out his party's plans to invest in mental health services – aiming to see it receiving 10% of Scottish NHS spending by 2026, while also focusing on preventative health care

Scottish Greens have called for spending on mental health services to be increased, so that this receives 10 per cent of the health budget by the end of the next parliament.

Party co-leader, Patrick Harvie, said there was a need to invest in treatments that "people often wait too long for".

Green proposals to improve mental health care include investing an additional £161 million into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

In addition, the party wants access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and social prescribing - which can see people referred to groups offering practical and emotional support - to be expanded.

Speaking out about the issues as he campaigned in Glasgow, Mr 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."

Mr Harvie stressed the need for a "fair and green recovery from the pandemic which puts wellbeing at the centre".

He vowed: "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 per cent of frontline health spend to mental health services.”

On Sunday the Greens unveiled plans to introduce a play-based kindergarten stage for the early years to help reduce the attainment gap.

The party pointed to studies that show children younger than seven respond and develop better with play-based learning, while formal assessments in the early years can put children off learning.