Welcome
Thank you Trisha, and thank you all for coming today. I see that this event has been designed to ensure there is time to share ideas and experiences so I hope you all have an inspiring day.
Be assured that the Scottish Government takes the issue of mental health very seriously. I am privileged to have been appointed as the first Scottish Minister to focus entirely on Mental Health in all of what the Scottish Government does. This is a particularly exciting and crucial time for mental health and wellbeing and the development of services and support across Scotland.
Status of Mental Health Issues
I would like to start by saying that the Scottish Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by Mental Health Officers in improving the lives of mental health patients and their friends and families.
We are committed to improving mental health. Its visibility and awareness has substantially risen over the last decade. There is better public awareness of mental illness and the sources of help that are available. Increasingly, people have a good understanding of their own mental health.
Mental health is a subject that touches everyone, whether we ourselves have a mental health problem, or have family, friends or colleagues who have or have had a mental health problem.
We are clear that this agenda matters. We know mental illness is one of the top public health challenges and not just here in Scotland. In the world, one in four people will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives.
We also know that people with mental disorder have a much higher mortality than the general population, dying on average more than 10 years earlier.
Mental health is rightly a topic that occupies us. We need to be as comfortable talking about mental ill health as we are talking about physical ill health.
Achievements under the Previous Mental Health Strategy
We have come a long way, and in Scotland we should be proud of what we have achieved over recent years.
We have had much success in promoting rights and recovery, addressing stigma and improving service outcomes. More people are receiving effective treatment and they receive it more quickly than ever before.
Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce mental health access targets.
As a result, the median waiting time for people across all age groups who need access to psychological therapies is 8 weeks.
For access to specialist child and adolescent mental health service, the median average waiting time across Scotland is 10 weeks.
Recently published data show that the rate of suicide in Scotland reduced by 18% over the last decade. Our Suicide Prevention Strategy sets out commitments designed to continue this downward trend.
That is not an exhaustive list. There are many more achievements delivered in partnership with service users, carers, the third sector, local authorities and NHS Scotland.
Its striking that you have titled your event ‘Human Rights and Humanity: Maintaining the People Focus in Mental Health Services’, this has been a focus for mental health strategy and development of the law in this area in Scotland.
The New Mental Health Strategy - Our Priorities
I would like to talk a little about the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy, as this will set out the Government’s vision for mental health for the next 10 years. I want to ensure that we take this opportunity to focus on those things that will make a real difference to mental health and wellbeing.
We have been gathering as many views as we can, from a range of people and organisations who have an interest in mental health, or a view on services. Our new strategy for mental health will set out our vision for how to transform these services.
It will concentrate on themes including prevention and early intervention, responses in primary care settings, improving the physical health of those with mental health problems, and improving access to mental health services.
It is organised around life stages, to support mental health throughout a person’s life. Alongside a continued focus on improving access to support and treatment for people with mental health problems, we want to make mental health services more efficient, effective and safe.
Legislation
We want people with mental health problems to know their rights, be at the centre of decisions about their own care and empowered to participate.
In Scotland, we are proud that our mental health legislation promotes rights and is based on principles. The 2015 Mental Health Act builds on these principles and the measures around named persons, advance statements and advocacy will encourage service users’ involvement in decisions about their care and treatment and help strengthen support for decision making.
MHO representatives have been working with my officials on the implementation of the 2015 Act. This work will help us smooth the way for the changes in legislation and help us to take the opportunities offered to ensure that mental health legislation effectively protects and promotes the rights of service users in practice
For example, the removal of the default named person means that the service user will only have a named person if they choose to have one. This will mean a different role for MHOs in relation to the identification and appointment of the named person as there will no longer be a requirement to identify which relative or carer falls to be the named person under the law. Instead, as part of the team that cares and supports service users, there will be a role in helping each service user understand the named person role and choose the best representative.
I’d also like to speak about the Adults With Incapacity legislation. I recognise that the operation of this legislation has some difficulties for users and increased workloads for professionals.
So sitting alongside the work to implement the 2015 Act, work is being taken forward on Adults with Incapacity. My officials are looking at, in particular:
· Firstly, new models of graded guardianship, with a strong focus on supported decision making-and the need for new models of decision making for those who may need restrictions placed on their liberty. It is interesting that you have Professor Stavert’s speaking today on extending and supporting the exercise of legal capacity as this will have relevance to this work;
· Secondly, the way the mental health legislation, Adults with incapacity legislation and Adult support and protection legislation works together and whether there is a need for change; and
· Thirdly, whether it would be more appropriate for Adults with incapacity cases to be considered by the Mental Health Tribunal rather than the sheriff court.
Your input into this work is invaluable and I know my officials are meeting with some of you at the Social Work Scotland Mental Health subgroup next month to discuss the early stages of this work.
Close
This work sets out the priorities that we think will deliver significant improvements in the mental health of the population of Scotland.
Unfortunately I have to leave now - I am due to visit to a local mental health charity called Mindspace. Some of you may be familiar with their work - they are home to the first independent recovery college in Scotland and I look forward to hearing about all the important work they do.
However I will be leaving you in good hands as your next speaker is Alan Baird, the Chief Social Work Adviser to the Scottish Government. Alan is going to talk about the Social Services in Scotland Vision and Strategy which I’m sure you’ll find very interesting.
Before I go, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to talk to you today and hope I have left you without any doubt that this Government is focussed on making a real difference to mental health and wellbeing in Scotland.
Your commitment to mental health is inspiring and by working together we can make a real difference.
Thank you