Swinney pledges to expand mental health support

First Minister John Swinney has pledged to expand mental health support ahead of a visit to a facility in Glasgow.

The Nook is a service operated by Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), which offers drop-in support for those struggling without the need for a referral.

Ahead of the visit on Wednesday, Swinney said his Government would support the “valuable work” SAMH has done.

However, he did not say how much the Government is willing to invest in the improvement of services.

“No-one should face mental health challenges alone and I want to ensure everyone can access the right support, in the right place, at the right time,” he said.

“The Nook from SAMH shows what’s possible when we bring mental health support into communities.

“We will expand on this valuable work as part of our continued focus on providing community-based mental health and wellbeing support.

“We will work with SAMH as they evaluate and expand their model as well as with organisations across the third sector who are providing essential services to keep people well in their communities.

“This complements our recent work to strengthen the NHS 24 mental health hub to offer psychological support for people who call 111 and our commitment to invest additional funding in Scotland’s mental health services, with £1.5bn already being invested each year.”