EDINBURGH — A coalition of 17 mental health organisations in Scotland has expressed strong concerns over the Scottish Government’s 2024 budget allocation for mental health services, calling it “deeply disappointing.” The budget, unveiled on Wednesday, earmarks £270.5 million for mental health, which comes amid a record £21 billion allocated to health and social care services. However, the Mental Health Partnership argues this represents a cut from the previous funding commitment of £290 million.
The Scottish Government, in response, disputes the claim of a reduction, stating that some mental health funds have been redistributed into other portfolios, such as the £15 million designated for children’s community wellbeing services within local government spending.
The overall funding for mental health services in the 2023/24 financial year was £251.8 million, according to the budget outturn.
Gordon Johnston, policy lead for the Mental Health Partnership, which includes organisations such as Change Mental Health, SAMH, and the British Psychological Society, expressed disappointment with the decision. “We’re deeply disappointed that the Scottish Government has not prioritised mental health in this year’s Budget, despite allocating record funding to health and social care,” Johnston said.
He continued: “The £270.5 million allocated to mental health represents a reduction from the £290.2 million baseline commitment of the past four years. This is a concerning shortfall, particularly when adjusted for inflation, and it signals real-terms cuts. Given the ongoing national mental health crisis and unprecedented demand for services across Scotland, this decision sends a worrying message and undermines the Government’s previous commitment.”
Johnston also highlighted concerns about the distribution of funds, noting that although more money has been allocated to NHS territorial boards, there is no assurance that the promised 10% of these funds will be specifically allocated for mental health services.
“We urge the Scottish Government to reconsider this decision and restore adequate funding,” Johnston added. “The wellbeing of our communities depends on sustained, robust investment, especially during a time of unprecedented demand.”
In defence of the budget, Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd rejected the claim that mental health funding had been reduced. “It is simply not accurate to say there has been a reduction to the mental health budget,” Todd said. “Our draft budget increases the direct programme budget for mental health by £3.3 million, or 1.2%, to £270.5 million.”
Todd emphasised that mental health remains a top priority for the Scottish Government, citing a significant increase in mental health funding over the past five years. “Even in the context of the past few difficult financial years, we have continued to invest wisely. For example, the latest CAMHS waiting times figures show the best national performance ever recorded,” she noted.
While acknowledging that there is still work to be done, Todd expressed confidence that the increase in funding would allow the Government to build on recent achievements in improving mental health services across the country.
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