Voluntary Health Scotland

The national intermediary and network for voluntary health organisations in Scotland.

One Goal Many Voices Unlimited Potential

One Goal Many Voices Unlimited Potential

We are the national intermediary and network for voluntary health organisations in Scotland

You are here: Home / Blogs / Mental Health a key plank of 2018/19 Programme for Government

Mental Health a key plank of 2018/19 Programme for Government

The Scottish Government has renewed its commitment to make Scotland one of the first countries in the world to develop a strategy to address loneliness and social isolation.  Announcing the Scottish Government’s 2018/19 Programme for Government, the First Minister included a number of commitments designed to foster better health and wellbeing.  If you are a voluntary health organisation interested in writing a blog piece for us with your response to the Programme for Government, please get in touch with Claire Stevens


Mental Health 

  • A stronger network of care and support for new mothers, include greater access to counselling and specialist services.
  • Utilisation of technology to extend access for adults to a range of support, including improvements to the NHS24 Breathing Space service, extending online access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, improving access to psychological assessment and therapy in rural areas, and strengthening the handling of mental health calls to the 111 service.
  • For CAMHS, £60m for additional school nursing and counselling services, enhanced support and professional learning materials for teachers and an additional 80 counsellors for higher education.
  • Development of a community mental wellbeing service for 5-24 year olds, offering immediate access to counselling, self-care advice and family and peer support.
  • A fast track to specialist services for young people with the most serious mental illness and targeted action to reduce the longest waits for services.
  • The Taskforce on Children and Young People’s Mental Health will report back to Ministers this Autumn.

Tackling Obesity: the Scottish Government will consult on restricting the promotion and marketing of food and drink that is high in fat, sugar or salt.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: the Scottish Government will continue to embed, across all areas of their work, a greater focus on preventing ACEs and also on supporting the resilience of children and adults to overcome childhood adversity.

Frank’s Law:  the Scottish Government will implement Frank’s Law, extending free personal care to eligible under 65 year olds.

Social isolation and loneliness – the long-awaited national strategy (A Connected Scotland) will be published by the end of 2018, drawing on the results of the Scottish Government’s consultation.

Read the details of the full programme here:

Scottish Government Programme for Government 2018-19