People in Scotland are set to benefit from continued mental health support thanks to fresh funding.
The new investment in the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund will be to the tune of £15m, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson, announced at the end of last week.
Projects funded through the programme focus on helping elderly people, those with long-term health conditions or disabilities, LGBTI communities and economically deprived regions.
The move aligns with the priority to boost mental health and wellbeing that was set out in the Scottish Government’s Policy Prospectus earlier last week.
The funding means that the scheme, which was originally launched in 2021 as part of the £120m Recovery and Renewal Fund, has now delivered approximately 3,300 grants to organisations providing mental health support, taking the total investment to more than £50m.
Announcing the extra funding, Michael Matheson said: “This investment reflects the importance we place on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those facing mental health challenges – ensuring that people can access a range of different types of help to match their needs.
“The Fund will continue to support a range of valuable community mental health and wellbeing projects, reflecting one of the priorities set out by the First Minister earlier this week.”
The news comes after Scotland’s recent launch of the NHS Community Glaucoma Service, which is looking to reduce waiting times – another one of the commitments made by Matheson – and give patients more convenient access to healthcare.
