Labour will end ‘scandalous’ failures on young mental health support – Sarwar

Anas Sarwar has promised to end the SNP’s “scandalous” failures on mental health support for young Scots.

The Scottish Labour leader unveiled a package of measures to improve services if his party wins the Holyrood election.

Sarwar said his plans would ensure young people would not “fall through the cracks” created by the SNP.

Labour has pledged to deliver a national neurodiversity pathway to get children and young people the support they need “instead of being lost in the system”.

A new system of support for children and young people would be created “immediately” upon referral to CAMHS “so kids don’t have to wait for the help they need”.

The party said it would also set up a dedicated community link worker service in all CAMHS teams to create “wraparound” support for young people on lists.

Scottish Labour also vowed to improve mental health care for adults by expanding support for those with mild to moderate conditions in primary care, improving access to self-referral pathways and providing better support to neurodivergent Scots.

Sarwar said: “Under the SNP, too many young people are falling through the cracks of a broken system in their hour of need.

“Too many young people face painfully long waits for treatment at CAMHS while thousands are turned away altogether.

“It is scandalous that children and young people are being failed in this way, but John Swinney and the SNP have more excuses than answers.”

He said a Scottish Labour government would “do the right thing by the next generation” and “fix the SNP’s mess in mental health services”.

He added: “We will expand mental health support in primary care and schools, help kids get help as soon as they are referred to CAMHS, and make sure autistic and ADHD children get specialist support.

“On May 7, we can end SNP mismanagement and deliver a Scottish Labour government that can get the basics right and make our NHS work as it should.”

The SNP has been approached for comment.