Part of Topical Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 October 2024.
The member asks really good questions. Although record numbers of staff are providing mental health support to a larger number of people than ever before, we acknowledge that it does not feel like that on the ground. That is why we have continued to invest heavily in our mental health workforce—that is, the broad, multidisciplinary health workforce.
I have already referenced the increase in mental health nursing and psychiatrists in Highland. In 2024-25, in order to support multidisciplinary teams, the Scottish Government provided national health service boards with approximately £2.7 million for mental health pharmacists and technicians, and we provided NHS Scotland with around £30 million for continuing education and training and for workforce expansion. [ Interruption .] Mr Mountain is now barracking me from a sedentary position, which I find profoundly unhelpful as I am trying to get on the record the work that we are doing, in response to the question that he asked.
We have exceeded our commitment to provide funding for 320 additional staff in child and adolescent mental health services by 2026. We have also funded more than 800 additional mental health workers in accident and emergency departments, general practices, police custody suites and prisons.
The issue of pension taxation is reserved. We have raised it with the UK Government, in recognition of the fact that we have limited ability to influence that space. We have taken the action that we can, by devolving powers to NHS boards to use local flexibilities within NHS pension arrangements and to offer pension recycling.