On 27th June 2025, we responded to the second stage of the Scottish Labour Party’s Policy Forum. This will inform their manifesto for next year’s Scottish Parliament election. The consultation is framed around seven thematic documents, including two on Mental Health and Preventative Health Care which we focus on in our response.
Many of the observations and proposals in both documents align with the experiences of VHS and our members. However, we did identify several points that we believe required further attention as the Scottish Labour Party further refine their manifesto pledges.
Our most pressing point is the need to better reflect the vital role of the third sector in the delivery of preventative health services, including those which promote good mental health. We also highlight that the third sector is a valuable source of qualitative and quantitative data related to population health and health inequalities, and an important vehicle for accessing the voice of lived experience. Given this important and varied role, we argue that the third sector deserves fair and sustainable funding, an equal voice in decision-making, and parity for its workforce.
We also make the point in our response that the shift to prevention in health services is a necessity and will require an increase in health spend in the short to medium term. This will ensure that preventative services are sustainably funded, whilst still meeting current demand for acute care.
Our response further highlights the need for shared outcomes and clearer paths of accountability in Scotland’s health sector to ensure that preventative services, including those in the third sector, are sustainably resourced and universally available. It also argues that greater effort should be made to ensure that language used in policy does not reinforce harmful stigmas around people who experience poor physical or mental health.
You can find our full response here: VHS Response Scottish Labour Policy Forum Stage 2.
For more information please email Sarah Latto, VHS Policy and Public Affairs Lead
