Mental health services in Scotland need their ‘fair share’ of covid government funding, a Royal College has said, as inpatient admissions reach their highest levels in over twenty years.

In a manifesto published today, the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland is calling on political parties to recognise that ‘there is no health without mental health’ and to adopt policies to deliver parity between physical and mental health.

Recent figures from Public Health Scotland show there were 51,400 mental health discharges in 2019-20, up from around 43,000 in 1997-98 and the highest level in two decades.

Despite the increase in patient numbers, the College says mental health services are not receiving a fair share of government funding.

A recent survey carried out by the College on the public revealed 33% of people with pre-existing mental ill health had seen their condition worsen during the pandemic.

Women, young people, ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged Scots had also been disproportionately affected.

The representative body for Scotland’s psychiatrists says politicians must work with partners to ensure there is no so-called ‘wrong door’ for Scotland’s diverse communities when it comes to accessing help.

Services were already struggling before the coronavirus pandemic, the College states, despite at least 8.1% of the health budget being ring-fenced.

It is now calling on the Scottish Government to confirm that the 8.1% threshold will be applied to the additional covid-19 funding granted in the autumn, which would give mental health services an extra £145m to deal with the impact of the pandemic.

The College manifesto, published ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May, also calls for greater support for vulnerable children and young people by ensuring 1% of all health spending goes to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services by 2026.

Professor John Crichton, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: “We have warmly welcomed funding increases in 2019-20, but mental health care did not have the resources to meet the needs of all Scots prior to the pandemic, with the highest rate of inpatient admissions since 1998.

“As clinicians working hard on the front line during the worst health crisis in modern history, we know that the number of patients presenting with mental health conditions will dramatically increase in the future.

“There is no health without mental health and that is why we are calling on the Scottish government to give us a firm commitment that mental health services will receive its fair share of funding.”

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