Question reference: S5W-27552
- Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 20 February 2020
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Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 March 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to (a) perinatal and (b) infant mental health in each of the last five years, broken down by how the funding was spent.
Answer
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health is a key commitment for the Scottish Government. The Managed Clinical Network for Perinatal Mental Health was established in 2017 and this was then followed by establishment of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board in 2019.
The First Minister announced £50 million of funding to improve perinatal and infant mental health services in March 2019.
The cost of the Managed Clinical Network for Perinatal Mental Health was £173,188 in 2017-18 and £175,785 in 2018-19.
In terms of allocations from the programme budget, £700,000 has been spent so far in 2019-20. This includes the following:
- £150,000 for Mother Baby Units staffing
- £225,000 for third sector expansion and development
- £150,000 on NHS Education Scotland workforce and trainee development
- £80,000 on pathfinder areas in Infant Mental Health
- £80,000 on expanding Perinatal Mental Health provision in the North of Scotland
NHS Boards will draw funding for mental health services, including for perinatal and infant mental health services, from the overall health and social care funds allocated to them by the Scottish Government. Local budget decisions are expected to reflect the national mental health priority and for NHS Boards to work with their partners to ensure the delivery of person centred, safe and effective mental health services which meet the assessed needs of their populations.