People in Scotland will have access to expanded 24/7 mental
health support, backed by an estimated £1.5 billion of investment
on mental health and wellbeing support from the Scottish
Government.
This funding includes £3.5 million of new investment announced
today which will make it easier for people to get the help they
need, reducing pressure on A&E and other emergency services
like Police Scotland.
The funding will enable the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub to expand,
offering psychological support for people who will benefit from
early access to treatment. The Hub provides round-the-clock help
to anyone in Scotland requiring urgent mental health support or
who is experiencing distress, connecting callers to trained
professionals for assessment, advice and directing them to the
most appropriate support.
A new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People, backed by
an initial £1 million, will also improve emergency mental health
responses across six NHS Board areas.
This complements the success of the Distress Brief Intervention
programme, which has already supported over 100,000 people since
its establishment with rapid support and follow-up care.
Visiting The Lighthouse for Perth, which offers mental health
crisis support for children and young people, First Minister
said:
“We are working hard to ensure everyone in Scotland, wherever
they live, has 24/7 access to the right mental health and
wellbeing support.
“Our 24/7 NHS 24 Mental Health Hub has been set up so that calls
from anyone in distress are redirected to specially trained
practitioners. The service is supporting thousands of people each
month and is easing pressure on other frontline services like
A&E and the police, and strengthens the range of emergency
mental health support available across Scotland.
“We are also launching a new Crisis Framework for Children and
Young People today, to improve how young people and their
families can access urgent mental health support. I am grateful
to organisations like The Lighthouse who have helped shape our
approach and who are delivering essential services in our
communities. Over the last two years almost 80,000 children,
young people and family members accessed Scottish
Government-funded community services, and our new Crisis
Intervention Fund will enable local areas to go further in
offering the right crisis response.”
Sharon Thomas Operations Manager The Lighthouse for Perth
said:
"The new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People will be
an excellent resource for everyone working in crisis support. The
Lighthouse have been working hard over the past 6 years
delivering this type of person centred service across Perth and
Kinross and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to
contribute to the new framework to ensure this will now be
available across the whole of Scotland.
"It is a pleasure to have the First Minister visit today and the
announcement of additional funding is very welcome. Young people
are the future of this country and we need to ensure they have
the support they need, when they need it to shape the future of
our communities."
Background
Between the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, subject to the
Budget Bill passing, we expect spending on Mental Health to
exceed £1.5 billion in 2026-27 based on the most recent cost book
data.
A new Crisis Framework for Children
and Young People has been launched, which sets out best
practice when helping children and young people experiencing a
mental health crisis.
The NHS 24 Mental Health
Hub provides urgent mental health support to around
10,000 people each month when they call 111. This expansion of
NHS 24's support offers to include Psychological Therapies has
been backed with £1.1 million of funding in 2025-26, with an
additional £1.5 million in 2026-27.
The Lighthouse For Perth -
Suicide, Self-Harm & Crisis Support
Distress Brief Intervention -
Connected Compassionate Support | DBI.scot
