Political opinion: Labour to prioritise mental health, with new emergency response
A Scottish Labour Government will create Scotland’s newest emergency service to prioritise mental health and ensure people in crisis finally get the urgent, specialist care they deserve.
Nearly one in five police incidents now relates to mental health distress, with officers routinely tied up for hours on cases they are not trained to handle, and despite the dedication of frontline police, this means fewer officers on Scotland’s streets and thousands of vulnerable people denied the professional mental health support they urgently need.
Announcing the policy at Labour’s recent policy conference Labour Leader Anas Sarwar said: “After almost two decades of SNP government, Scotland’s mental health services are in crisis.
“They promised parity between physical and mental health – but instead we’ve seen soaring waiting lists, slashed budgets, and thousands left without the treatment they need.
“And while mental health services have been hollowed out, it is our police officers who are picking up the pieces. They are overstretched, overwhelmed, and expected to act as the emergency service of last resort.
“That is a failure of government, not a failure of policing, and I refuse to allow this neglect to continue.
“A Scottish Labour Government will create a dedicated Mental Health Emergency Response Service so that when people phone 999 in crisis, it is trained NHS professionals who respond.
“This is about fixing the basics – cutting red tape, rebuilding frontline services, and ensuring people get the right care at the right time.
“Scots deserve better than the waste and incompetence of the SNP. In just six months Scots will have a choice - more failure with the SNP or a Scottish Labour Government that puts their priorities first.”
Local Labour candidate for Falkirk West, Paul Godzik, welcomed the announcement, adding: “For too long, mental health has been treated as an afterthought. So, I am pleased that Labour have set out a workable plan to ensure Scotland will have a dedicated Mental Health Emergency Response Service staffed by specially trained paramedics, nurses and mental health professionals responding directly to 999 calls.
“Successful models are already in place in Sweden, Amsterdam, and parts of England, where specialist mental health response teams have improved outcomes for patients, and significantly reduced reliance on police support.”
Scottish Labour’s plan forms part of a wider shake-up to cut NHS bureaucracy and end the fragmented system that leaves people passed from pillar to post.
The party will combine NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service into a single emergency response and advice service, ensuring seamless 24/7 care for people in crisis.
The proposals also include improved mental health training for A&E clinicians and expanding the availability of psychiatric liaison nurses to deliver round-the-clock triage in emergency settings.