Theresa Fyffe argues mental health services has been a Cinderella service for too long and change involves working across sectors

The fact that mental health is suddenly under the political spotlight won’t be much comfort to the 600 odd children and young people who waited more than six months to start treatment for mental ill-health, as revealed by this week’s official figures for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

People who work in mental health services are tired of being called the Cinderella service but the fact remains: mental health services are overlooked and underfunded, compared to services for physical health.

But we should take comfort from the fact that the Scottish Government is starting to push mental health up its agenda and there has even been some increases in funding such as via the Mental Health Innovation Fund. And there are some fantastic services out there that should be expanded, replicated or adapted.

Far too many services for vulnerable people – often provided by third sector organisations – are vulnerable themselves

Theresa Fyffe

For instance, in Fife, under the leadership of a nurse consultant, an intensive therapy CAMHS service is provided by a multi-disciplinary team. This service is not only tailored to meet the individual needs of young people and their family and carers, it means people who would have in the past been hospital inpatients are largely now treated at home. And since the service started, the official scoring system for indicators such as mental wellbeing and social functioning have shown a marked improvement in over 90% of cases, while saving the NHS money by supporting people at home rather than putting them in hospital.

What this and many other examples show is the importance of the NHS and its many professionals working in partnership with local authority and third sector colleagues. We need to look beyond simply treating the mental health condition and build a proper network of services in communities to support wellbeing and tackle the causes of mental ill-health.

Working together to address poverty and make sure services are in place to spot and act on early is so importatnt. Mental ill-health is crucial and this approach is something that COPE, a mental health charity in Glasgow’s Drumchapel, puts into practice every day. Set up by Hilda Campbell, an ex-NHS nurse, the organisation works with local people who have nowhere left to turn, supporting them through mental health crises. COPE reaches out across barriers, bringing people and organisations together and giving the local community the tools and support to be more resilient.

These are the services that make a difference. Yet far too many services for vulnerable people – often provided by third sector organisations – are vulnerable themselves. They are often reliant on short-term funding or subject to cuts at short notice. For staff this means they are constantly wondering if they’ll be coming in one day to see a to let sign above the office front door, and for patients it can be a constant worry.

So let’s hope that the Scottish Government’s new-found commitment to improving Scotland’s mental health now starts putting these services – that significantly enhance people’s everyday lives – on a more secure footing and that our young people are no longer languishing on waiting lists for months on end.

This time next year I want to be in a position to say that mental health services used to be the Cinderella service but things have now changed and as a result Scotland’s mental health is getting better and better.

Theresa Fyffe is director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland