Tag: Health and wellbeing

Record winter funding package as NHS and social care prepare to face “toughest winter ever”

“The current situation is not sustainable; it is dangerous for patients and becoming incredibly difficult for staff.” – Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland

A substantial new investment of over £300 million in hospital and community care has been unveiled to help tackle what is anticipated to be the toughest winter the NHS and social care system has ever faced.

The new multi-year funding will support a range of measures to maximise capacity in our hospitals and primary care, reduce delayed discharges, improve pay for social care staff, and ensure those in the community who need support receive effective and responsive care.

The NHS and Care Winter Package of additional funding includes:

  • Recruiting 1,000 additional NHS staff to support multi-disciplinary working
  • £40 million for ‘step-down’ care to enable hospital patients to temporarily enter care homes, or receive additional care at home support, with no financial liability to the individual or their family towards the cost of the care home
  • Over £60 million to maximise the capacity of care at home services
  • Up to £48 million will be made available to increase the hourly rate of social care staff to match new NHS band 2 staff
  • £20 million to enhance Multi-Disciplinary Teams, enable more social work assessments to be carried out and support joint working between health and social care
  • £28 million of additional funding to support primary care
  • £4.5 million available to Health Boards to attract at least 200 registered nurses from outwith Scotland by March 2022
  • £4 million to help staff with their practical and emotional needs, including pastoral care and other measures to aid rest and recuperation

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As the winter period approaches, it is vital that we do all we can to maximise the capacity of the NHS and social care system. That’s why I’m setting out our £300 million NHS and Care Winter Package today.

“We cannot look at the NHS in isolation we must take a whole systems approach and these measures will help alleviate pressure across the NHS and social care.

“This significant new investment will help get people the care they need as quickly as possible this winter. Bolstering the caring workforce by increasing their numbers, providing them with additional support, and increasing the wages of social care staff.

“We’ve previously provided funding to ensure that adult social care staff are paid at least the real living wage. Today we’re going further and our new investment will ensure that adult social care staff who are currently paid the real living wage will get a pay rise of over 5%

“Measures I have announced today will help patients whose discharge has been delayed waiting for care and help get them out of hospital and on to the next stage in their care. This helps the individual by getting them the right care, and helps the wider system by ensuring the hospital capacity is being used by those who need that specialist level of clinical care.

“This £300 million of new funding will also fund increases in social care capacity in the community and in primary care – helping to ease the pressure on unpaid carers.

“Our NHS, social care staff and social work staff have been remarkable throughout the pandemic and today’s additional investment will help support them to deliver care to people across Scotland this winter.”

Meanwhile,the latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland published by the Scottish Governmentyesterday for August 2021 show that four-hour performance has deteriorated for the fourth consecutive month, again reaching a record low – while the number of patients staying in a major Emergency Department for 12-hours or more reaches a record high.

In August 2021 there were 117,552 attendances to major Emergency Departments across Scotland.

Data show that four-hour performance reached a new record low, with 75.4% of patients being seen within four-hours. One in four patients stayed in a major Emergency Department for four-hours or more before being admitted, transferred or discharged.

The number of 12-hour stays in August 2021 nearly doubled when compared to July 2021. 1,346 patients stayed in a major Emergency Department for 12-hours or more, compared to 760 in July 2021. This figure increased for the fourth consecutive month and it is the highest number of 12-hour stays since records began.

Data also show that 5,279 patients spent eight hours or more in a major Emergency Department. This is the highest figure since records began. The number of patients delayed by eight-hours or more increased for the fourth consecutive month.

Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The challenge for health care workers is growing significantly. In Scotland, the army have been called in to assist the ambulance services.

“In Emergency Departments, long stays are rising drastically, and one in four patients are staying in an Emergency Department for more than four-hours. It is extremely worrying. These pressures are likely to mount further, and performance deteriorate even more as we head into winter.

“We are seriously concerned about patient safety. Long stays put patients at risk, particularly vulnerable patients, and especially with covid still present in the community. We urgently need a plan to increase flow throughout the hospital, to reduce exit block, to prevent crowding, and to ensure that patients who need it can quickly be moved into a bed for their care.

“The current situation is not sustainable; it is dangerous for patients and becoming incredibly difficult for staff.

“We welcome this afternoon’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf MSP, including the recruitment of more staff and funding for hospital and community care. We hope that these measures will begin to alleviate pressures across the health system, and in particular reduce ambulance handover delays, long stays in Emergency Departments and exit block in our hospitals.

“However, while we welcome this investment, short-term cash injections do little to resolve long-term problems. We must see a long-term workforce plan that includes measures to retain health workers, particularly Emergency Medicine staff, as well as a long-term strategy for social care.”

Responding to the Scottish Government’s announcement to uplift care workers pay to just over £10 an hour, GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “If we want to tackle the understaffing crisis in social care then we need to substantially increase the basic rate of pay, and for GMB that mean’s a £15 an hour minimum.  

“Many of our frontline services are already being delivered on the back of wages of just under or over £10 an hour, and we know this isn’t nearly enough. 

“To transform social care for the people who need it and the people who deliver it, particularly as we roll-out a national care service, then we must go further.”

The Scottish Government may also be facing industrial action from nursing staff over the winter …

NHS pay dispute in Scotland: Royal College of Nursing members to be asked about willingness to take industrial action

RCN members working for NHS Scotland are to be asked what industrial action they would be willing to take in support of their ongoing trade dispute with the Scottish government and NHS employers over pay. 

The trade dispute was lodged in June following the Scottish government’s decision to implement a single-year NHS pay deal for 2021-22 for Agenda for Change staff, without further discussing RCN members’ overwhelming rejection of the pay award.

The indicative ballot will open on 12 October and close on 8 November. 

Eligible members will receive information on the different forms of industrial action. 

The indicative ballot will be run by Civica, the independent scrutineer that organised the consultative ballot earlier this year. Eligible members will receive an email from Civica with a personal link to the online voting site on Tuesday 12 October. Weekly reminder emails will also be sent.

The result of the indicative ballot will not formally authorise industrial action. It will be used to inform the next steps RCN members might take.

Julie Lamberth, Chair of the RCN Scotland Board, said: “Industrial action is always a last resort but the current staffing challenges are causing unacceptable risks to patients and staff. The Scottish government has the opportunity to do the right thing by nursing.

“I would urge all eligible RCN members to seek out the available information on what taking industrial action means and what the implications of doing so might be. We need each member to make up their own mind and have their say in the ballot.”

Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Director, added: “This is your chance to speak up – for your patients and your colleagues. Many of you rejected the pay offer and you know the link between fair pay and safe staffing.

“This is your opportunity to tell us what action you are prepared to take. To let the Scottish government know that the time to protect patient safety and value the safety critical role of nursing is now.”

Edinburgh charities benefit from Community Connect support

Edinburgh School Uniform Bank has successfully secured £15,000 thanks to Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect award scheme.

Edinburgh School Uniform Bank, which distributes school uniform to families in Edinburgh who are facing financial hardship, was awarded the funding after being shortlisted by the convenience retailer as one of three good causes and charities in the East of Scotland to receive financial support from an £25,000 pot.

Other recipients of funding in the East include Canine Concern Scotland Trust, which provides therapy dogs for patients in hospital after a stroke or suffering traumatic brain injuries, and Scottish Huntington’s Association (see below).

Julia Grindley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Edinburgh School Uniform Bank (above) said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £15,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award.

“This award will allow us to provide school uniform and warm jackets to over 600 local children. This funding will make a huge difference to their confidence and their sense of belonging, as well as keeping them cosy through the winter.”

Since Scotmid’s Community Connect launched in 2017, more than £460,000 has been awarded to 42 good cause groups, enabling key projects to come to life in local areas.

Shirley MacGillivray, Head of Communities and Membership at Scotmid, said: “Community Connect is one of the main ways we can support those communities that we serve and we are delighted to provide Edinburgh School Uniform Bank with this funding, which will help them to continue providing vital services.

“Times remain challenging for many people; being able to help improve the lives of others across the country is one of the very reasons we exist.”

Scottish Huntington’s Association has successfully secured £5,000 thanks to Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect award scheme.

The Association, which provides 1-1 advice, peer group work sessions, youth mental health services for children with a parent living with Huntington’s Disease and have a 50% chance themselves of inheriting the condition, was awarded the funding after being shortlisted by the convenience retailer as one of three causes and charities in the East of Scotland to receive financial support from an £25,000 pot.

Gemma Powell, Senior Fundraiser from Scottish Huntington’s Association said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £5,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award towards Scottish Huntington’s Association Youth Service.

“This funding will help us bring back our annual youth camp which is attended by young people growing up in families impacted by Huntington’s disease across Scotland.

“This camp offers young people the chance to make and catch up with friends, share experiences, learn more about Huntington’s disease and, for many, enjoy a break from caring responsibilities. We’re so grateful to Scotmid and their members.”

Mel Hughes, CEO of Canine Concern Scotland Trust said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £5,000 Scotmid Community Connect Award.

“This award will allow us to develop our Therapet® Visiting Service in the NHS Lothian area, starting with the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

“This funding will make a huge difference to patients recovering from a stroke or neurological condition, who will benefit from a Therapet® visit which will aid their physical, mental and emotional recovery.”

Since Scotmid’s Community Connect launched in 2017, more than £460,000 has been awarded to 42 good cause groups, enabling key projects to come to life in local areas.

RoSPA and RSA Group launch new campaign to tackle falls

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and RSA Insurance Group have launched the ground-breaking Fall Fighter initiative with the aim of tackling the UK’s biggest forgotten killer – falls in the home.

Falls are the single biggest cause of accidental injuries in the home and the largest cause of death among over-65s in the UK. Every year more than a third of people over the age of 65 (and half of those over 80) have a fall that requires hospital treatment, costing the NHS and wider healthcare system more than £2.3billion every year.

As well as having a huge impact on society at large, falls can also have a devastating effect on individual lives; from physical injuries, long-term health effects and disabilities to trauma and poor mental health, loss of mobility, loneliness, social isolation and loss of independence.

Despite this, making simple and low-cost changes can prevent falls from happening. The new Fall Fighter movement is designed to educate and empower people of all ages, transforming each of them into a “Fall Fighter” who can then help family, friends and others in their communities.

RoSPA and RSA will be providing short free awareness sessions and resources to give every Fall Fighter information and advice on how to reduce falls.

This could include, for instance, discussing what medication your friend, relative or loved one is currently prescribed and whether it needs to be reviewed, finding out whether they need an eye test, doing a home safety check and looking at what cheap and straightforward changes around the house could improve safety.

The resources will also contain guidance on what to do if someone has a fall – both in the short and longer-term, plus a digital toolkit to help each Fall Fighter inspire others.

RoSPA’s Relationships Director, Becky Hickman, said: “It takes just 20 minutes to become a Fall Fighter, but by doing so you have the power to change, and even save the lives of loved ones, friends and family.

“This simple but hugely effective project is free and open to all and we would encourage individuals or organisations to get involved.”

“This Fall Fighter community will now build, and in doing so, inspire others to prevent thousands of falls every year. By joining together, we can be a powerful and positive force for good.”

RSA’s Head of Social Impact and ESG, Laura Spiers, said: “Our partnership with RoSPA forms part of a wider programme to support our customers and communities, by increasing awareness to help them manage the risks they face every day.

“Preventing falls amongst loved ones in the home is an issue that’s often overlooked, but taking simple actions can minimise the devastating impact they have on people and their families. By harnessing RSA’s relationships, and encouraging people from every community to get involved in the Fall Fighter campaign and help those around them, I’m very hopeful that we can make a real difference across the country.”

The Fall Fighter website is available at: www.rospa.com/fall-fighter

Latest Accident & Emergency Activity report highlights scale of health inequalities

The latest Hospital Episodic Statistics (HES): Hospital Accident and Emergency Activity 2020-21 published by NHS Digital and NHS England show that attendance rates in the most deprived areas of England were almost double the attendance rates in the least deprived areas.

The data show in 2020-21 in the most deprived areas of England there were 39,161 attendances per 100,000, while in the least deprived areas this figure is almost halved to 20,784.

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The pandemic has highlighted the scale of health inequalities across the country. The data show that those from the most deprived area are almost twice as likely to visit their Emergency Department than those from the least deprived area.

“We welcome NHS England’s willingness to engage on the issue and address health inequalities, but we must see real action taken. We also look forward to the formation of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and would welcome the opportunity to input into their agenda.

“The health inequalities are clear and tackling them will be a serious challenge. On a fundamental level, if the government is serious about levelling up and tackling these inequalities, the first steps must be to fund and support local authorities and Integrated Care Systems and invest in preventative health.

“The scale of health inequalities means tackling homelessness; immigrant health; domestic violence; and youth violence. While supporting those with; mental health illnesses; learning disabilities; and both drug and alcohol addiction.”

There were also 1.39 million reattendances in 2020/21 which is equal to 10.4% of all unplanned attendances. This is the highest figure on record and up 1.7 percentage points when compared to the previous year 2019/20.

Dr Henderson continued: “It is also deeply concerning that one in ten patients reattended the Emergency Department (ED), it is vital that patients have the appropriate information and support available to manage their condition following their visit to the ED. We need better data on this issue to understand what is driving people to reattend.”

In 2020/21 302,784 patients stayed in an Emergency Department for 12-hours or more from time of arrival, this is 21 times higher than the 12-hour figure from decision to admit, which is 14,150.

Dr Henderson concluded: “Utilising the right metrics in Emergency Departments is crucial to improving patient safety. It is vital that we measure health equalities, reattendances, and 12-hour stays from time of arrival across the country.

“Analysing these metrics will help us, NHS England and the government to take effective action to support the patients, communities and areas that need it most. That means fewer reattendances, closing the gap on health inequalities, reducing long stays, and improving the patient experience.

“This data paints a very real picture of the state of health and the state of healthcare in this country. We welcome the engagement of NHS England and the government’s agenda on these matters, but we must now see the tangible actions taken to tackle these issues.”

RCM warn of midwife exodus as maternity staffing crisis grows

Midwives are being driven out of the NHS by understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women in the current system, according to a new survey of its members by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).  

The College is warning of a ‘midwife exodus’ as it publishes the results of its annual member experiences of work survey. Over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57% saying they would leave the NHS in the next year. 

Of those midwives who either have left or were considering leaving, more than eight out of 10 were concerned about staffing levels and two-thirds were not satisfied with the quality of care they are currently able to deliver.  

Alarmingly, the highest level of dissatisfaction among those surveyed came from midwives who had only worked for five years or less in the NHS. This will have a significantly detrimental impact on workforce planning and, says the RCM, the ability of maternity services across the country to provide acceptable levels of safe, quality care. 

The RCM’s General Secretary and Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said: “Every midwife and maternity support worker goes to work to provide safe, quality care. That so many feel that understaffing means they are unable to do so is deeply worrying.

“What these numbers suggest is a midwife exodus, which will leave already-struggling services on their knees. Quite rightly, there is a strong focus on improving maternity safety, but there is a risk that the Government is ignoring the essential ingredient to that: having the right staff, in the right place.  

“Investment and programmes to improve safety in maternity services hang in the balance here, because without adequate numbers of staff with are fighting a losing battle. Every safety report cites understaffing as an issue that is comprising the delivery of safe care, but when are the Government going to take note?

“We are calling on the Government to listen to those best advised and work with us to improve retention and recruitment. All NHS organisations must urgently review their maternity staffing levels using a recognised workforce planning tool to ensure staffing reflects the workload.” 

A report published by NHS Digital in July revealed the number of NHS midwives working in England in May had fallen by almost 300 in just two months. This is the fastest fall for these two months for any of the years listed in the NHS report, which goes back to 20 years say the RCM.  

Burnout among midwives and all maternity staff is higher than ever, particularly after COVID-19 which saw an increase in sickness absence adding to a pre-existing shortage of 2,000 midwives in England alone.

Last week leaked results of an NHS national staff survey showed a sharp drop in those who believe their health and wellbeing is being supported by their employer. This is echoed in the RCM survey, with over half of respondents saying that they did not feel valued by their employer.

Almost all (92%) of midwives and maternity support workers (MSW) said that they did not feel their work was valued by the current Government.

 

Gill added: “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear of a maternity service having to close temporarily, suspend services or divert women to other maternity units just because there simply aren’t enough midwives. This can’t continue because we know it compromises safety and means women don’t always get the safe positive pregnancy and birth experience that they should.  

“It’s also having a shocking impact on maternity staff themselves. A shortage of midwives has undoubtedly worsened rates of physical and mental burnout among our members. Morale among staff is low and has been worsened by the recent pay award in England.  

“Sadly, this survey shows that many midwives and MSWs have had enough. They are feeling very fragile and are simply at breaking point. Enormous demands are being made on midwives and the services they work for, yet investment in these services from the Government remains inadequate to provide the safe, high-quality care that women deserve.

“We have previously advised the Government on what can be done to begin to address this situation which hasn’t happened overnight. Prior to the pandemic the RCM has voiced concerns and solutions to the recruitment and retention issues faced by UK maternity services, and we are happy to do that again, but we are now sadly at crisis point.

“That is today we are again calling on the Government and NHS Employers to take action immediate to keep midwives in midwifery before it’s too late.” 

Children nationwide taking steps to reduce air pollution

  • Pupils across Scotland will take steps to reduce local air pollution by walking to school during International Walk to School Month this October.
  • Currently around 45 per cent of pupils in Scotland walk to school.
  • Living Streets is encouraging pupils to #WalkForTheWorld this October.

Thousands of children across Scotland will take steps to reduce local air pollution by walking to school during International Walk to School Month this October.

Living Streets, the charity behind the walk to school campaign in the UK, is encouraging families to leave the car at home for the school run and instead join pupils globally who are celebrating the benefits of walking and wheeling to school during October.

The latest data for Scotland shows that around 45 per cent of pupils in Scotland currently walk to school.

Stephen Edwards, Interim Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “Swapping our short car journeys for walking or wheeling is an easy way to reduce air pollution, fuel consumption and congestion, and the journey to school is a great place to start.

“One in four cars on the road at morning peak hours are on the school run, despite the vast majority of families living less than two miles from their nearest school. Choosing cleaner ways to travel will help improve the air we breathe and help children to meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day needed to stay fit, healthy and happy.

“International Walk to School Month is an excellent opportunity for families to enjoy the benefits of walking to school.”

Living Streets is running a social media challenge for schools and families throughout October. Pupils are asked to choose an animal or natural habitat endangered by  climate change and walk, wheel, scoot, cycle or Park & Stride to school to protect it.

Families and schools can then share their #WalkForTheWorld images on social media to be entered into a prize draw with prizes available for schools and families.

To find out more about International Walk to School Month and to enter the prize draw, visit livingstreets.org.uk/IWTSM

Survey: Are the kids alright?

A 3 year old starting nursery in 2021 will have spent half their life under pandemic restrictions.

Public Health Scotland @P_H_S_Official would like to know what that means for families’ wellbeing.

A new survey aims to find out, extended to represent children aged 0-11:

https://surveys.publichealthscotland.scot/838276?lang=en

Tackling coronavirus in Scotland: £25 million to improve ventilation

Business premises will be able to access a £25 million package to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.

Grants will target a wide range of high risk settings where people come into close proximity, including restaurants, bars and gyms, with support available to help companies undertake work such as the installation of carbon dioxide monitors and altering windows and vents.

An expert advice group, chaired by Professor Tim Sharpe from the University of Strathclyde, unanimously recommended that businesses should be supported to improve ventilation. The Group was established in August to advise how enhanced ventilation can help reduce transmission of the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “As we step away from other mitigations, improved ventilation will play a significant role in reducing transmission indoors, support the sustained opening of society and contribute to our wider Covid recovery.

“Many of the businesses we are targeting have been closed for long periods and it is right that they are helped to undertake this work. We are allocating up to £25 million to assist small and medium-sized enterprises and expect to begin making payments in November.

“The package will initially target higher risk sectors where people spend significant amounts of time in close proximity to each other, such as hospitality and leisure, and will make indoor settings safer, especially through the winter months.”

Further details of the grants, including eligibility and timing, will be published on findbusinesssupport.gov.scot in due course.

Queen’s leads consortium to better understand link between healthy living and dementia

Can a healthy lifestyle combat undernutrition and dementia?

 The PROMED-COG (PROtein enriched MEDiterranean diet to combat undernutrition and promote healthy neuroCOGnitive ageing) Consortium brings together unique expertise to better understand how the balance between diet and physical activity could reverse undernutrition during ageing and, ultimately, prevent dementia. 

The research led by Queen’s University Belfast will provide new and critical insight into the role of undernutrition in cognitive health. It will explore how diet and exercise can work to combat undernutrition and the effect of factors – such as age, gender, and genetics -on the risk of dementia in older age. 

One in ten adults aged 60 years+ are undernourished, which means that they have low levels of proteins, calories, vitamins, and minerals caused by reduced food intake or because the body does not process food properly.

Undernutrition has a negative impact on the health of older people as it leads to weight loss and increases the risk of dementia in later life.  

PROMED-COG project co-ordinator, Dr Claire McEvoy from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Weight loss increases the risk of dementia by up to 40% but occurs a decade or more before the symptoms of memory loss become apparent.

“This gives us an opportunity to intervene early with preventative strategies to counteract undernutrition and, potentially, the onset of cognitive impairment.” 

Dementia is a major health priority. It already affects around seven million people in Europe, a figure set to double by 2030, with socioeconomic costs rising to over €250 billion. 

While factors, such as age and genetics, influence the onset of dementia and cannot be changed, some lifestyle changes could make a difference. PROMED-COG will use existing datasets in Italy to study the links between undernutrition, cognitive decline, and dementia.

The project will also test the effect of adopting a diet and exercise intervention over six months on undernutrition and cognition in older adults living in Northern Ireland. This will inform the recommendations developed to slow down cognitive decline and prevent dementia in older European citizens.  

Dr McEvoy added: “Dementia is a huge problem affecting our ageing population. There is a significant lack of research in this area and this new grant will bring together a range of European experts to develop evidence-based recommendations for the prevention of undernutrition and cognitive impairment during ageing. 

“This will not only prolong the period of life spent in good health but will also reduce the societal and economic burden of dementia.” 

The European Horizon 2020 Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life”, and ERA-NET Cofund ERA-HDHL (GA N° 696295) has awarded a grant of over 680,000 euros to the PROMED-COG consortium. Led by Queen’s University Belfast, the Consortium includes The National Research Council Italy, The University of Padova, University College Dublin, Wageningen University, and The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. 

With Fairness in Mind: £5 million to address mental health stigma

See Me awarded continued funding

The national programme to eliminate mental health stigma and discrimination has been awarded £5 million of Scottish Government funding for five years.  

The continuing investment in See Me, which has been announced alongside the launch of their new strategy, With Fairness in Mind, will allow See Me to carry on their important work as part of the wider national response to the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “I am pleased to announce continued funding for See Me of £1 million a year until March 2026. This is not only a sign of our trust and belief in See Me but also in recognition of the importance of tackling the stigma and discrimination.

“We know that the pandemic has had a substantial impact on the mental health of the population, and is likely to continue to do so. It has never been more important to look after our mental health. That is why we are working to create a Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time, and to fully enjoy their rights, free from stigma and discrimination.

“Tackling stigma is crucial to mental health improvement, because of the barriers it presents for recovery, prevention and early intervention. Reducing stigma creates the best conditions for positive mental wellbeing, enabling more people to access the support, care and treatment they need.”

Wendy Halliday, See Me Director, said: “Stigma and discrimination can have a devastating impact on the lives of people with mental health problems. It can stop people from getting the right help and support, it can cause people to lose their jobs, it can leave people isolated and, for young people, they can find themselves being judged and dismissed when trying to reach out.

“That’s why the launch of our new five-year strategy, With Fairness in Mind, and the continued investment in the See Me Programme from the Scottish Government is so important. There must be this ongoing commitment to ending the deep rooted stigma that exists in Scottish society, especially in workplaces, education, health and social care and communities.

“At See Me we want to see a change in the way support and treatment for mental health is thought about, so tackling stigma and discrimination, and addressing the barriers they create, is seen as essential to any action to improve mental health.”

You can read the strategy here https://www.seemescotland.org/about-see-me/.