NHS cuts are taking city's mental health crisis to the brink
By Flora Irvine-Hall
Source: Unsplash; Photo: Priscilla Du Preez
The NHS is currently overrun with patients seeking mental health services which has led to long waiting times and what the liberal democrats have referred to as “a mental health epidemic”.
Towards the end of last year, a number North Lanarkshire residents took part in a survey which asked about life satisfaction on a scale on one to 10. The figures showed that the average score for life satisfaction in North Lanarkshire was at a 7.4 while the UK as a whole had an average of 7.5 meaning that parts of Glasgow were falling behind the UK average.
And it seems like this issue is only going to get worse as an article from the Glasgow Times reported that mental health nurses are quitting the NHS due to the demanding workload and long waiting times. A senior source (whose identity was protected) said that patients seeking an ADHD diagnosis were looking at a 24 month wait to even have an assessment.
The anonymous source also claimed that Greater Glasgow and Clyde will see even more cuts, meaning that the NHS will be less able to provide the appropriate treatment for individuals struggling with mental health issues.
Because of this, many NHS workers are either taking long absences of sick leave or leaving the NHS all together as they cannot bear not being able to give their patients the help they need.
At the moment, the go-to mental health service in the NHS is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The source from the Glasgow Times article said that was more for with those struggling with depression and anxiety and not all that helpful for those dealing with much more severe and complex mental health issues.
Alison Thewliss, a Scottish National Party MP for Central Glasgow, shares similar concerns on the issue.
“While it is more of an issue of Scotland as a whole as opposed to just a Glasgow-based issue, I do still get complaints about the ongoing mental health crisis,” she said.
There is a debate about who is to blame for the NHS mental health crisis, with many pointing blame at both the Scottish government and the UK government for all the budget cuts that the NHS have faced over the years.
“There has been a massive cut in NHS budgeting which is leading to more pressure on staff and longer waiting times for patients. This obviously isn’t ideal at all, particularly if you’re in a crisis,” Thewlis said.
She says that the SNP are committed to helping those in need.
“We want to help those in need and provide resources for them to use while they are still on the waiting list,” she said.
In particular, the SNP have made big investments in CAMHS. CAMHS is an NHS programme which stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health services and they are committed to helping young people with any emotional or mental difficulties.
While CAMHS only offers its services to young people, Thewliss recommended the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH). GCPH is a great organisation for people of all ages that focuses on causes of mental health, inequalities in the workplace as well as conducting research on coping mechanisms and therapy techniques. While the organisation is particularly focused on Glasgow as a city, it is also committed to helping other countries and regions with their methods.
Another ongoing argument is that the NHS is in a crisis because Scotland is not an independent country. Thewliss has similar thoughts.
“Because Scotland is not an independent country there are times when England’s funding plans will have a domino effect on Scotland. Because of all the budget cuts that have been happening in the UK, it could take Scotland a decade to get back to normal,” she said.