The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland - a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson
By Professor John Robertson OBA
In the Herald, today:
Mental illness is rocketing, while government funding falls. Suicides are rising, along with self-harm, autism, ADHD and loneliness. The head of Scotland’s leading mental health charity explains to our Writer at Large just how badly the government has lost control
Neil Mackay and his interviewee, Billy Watson, the head of the charity, Scottish Action for Mental Health are clear on the basis for their claims:
Leaving aside Mackay’s delusional vanity about his readership – ‘the Scottish people‘ – and his long previous in finding darkness in his adopted land – extreme right-wing terrorism or the violence of the ‘Troubles’ in Scotland1 – the source will prick up the minds of regulars here. Stephen Boyle, the Auditor for General for Scotland has a clear political agenda, unlike his colleagues in Wales or England.2
You may wish to check these two out.
Before, the rebuttal, there are two things I want to explain.
One, is this too sensitive a topic for rebuttal? I’ve often wondered and I do feel a bit uncomfortable but the mainstream media are covering this with images of traumatised children, do not hesitate to trumpet Scotland’s drug deaths and, were Scotland to be the infant mortality capital or the suicide capital of the UK, would not hesitate to feed on that.
Second, I feel sure some will suggest I cannot understand this if I have not experienced it. I have, like some of you reading and my heart goes out to you now, I’ve been in a chemical-induced dark tunnel of despair I thought I might never escape due to addiction to high dose prescription opioid painkillers. I’m OK now. I’m definitely not the only one reading this who has known or is sadly still experiencing the consequences of thinking they have an entitlement to pain-free life as they age. Again my heart goes out to you.
Sources:
- https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Neil+Mackay
- https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/09/13/audit-scotland-has-an-agenda-quite-unlike-that-of-the-national-audit-office-for-england/
The rebuttals:
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times approaching 90% target and waiting list slashed by massive 26% in Scotland is not, it seems, news
From Public Health Scotland in September 2024:
84.1% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from the 73.8% for the same quarter ending June 2023. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
4,374 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS in Scotland. This is a 7.8% increase from the 4,056 starting treatment in the previous quarter.
4,942 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending June 2024 which is a decrease of 11.1% (615) compared to 5,557 in the previous quarter, and a decrease of 25.9% (1,725) from 6,667 waiting in the same quarter ending June 2023.
2. Nearly 50% more psychiatrists than in England’s presumable hyper-super-crisis
From BBC Scotland in October 2024:
The cost of bringing in locum psychiatrists on emergency contracts to treat mental health patients in Scotland has soared, according to new figures. Dr Jane Morris, chairwoman of the RCP, said the increased cost of the reliance on locums was “stark and very concerning”. She said: “I think the whole agency locum question is a reflection of a real crisis in the Scottish psychiatric workforce. There simply aren’t enough of us. The number of whole-time equivalent NHS psychiatrists has dropped from 781 in March 2019 to 651 in March this year.
With 10 times the population, even to match the Scottish ‘crisis’, NHS England would need 6 510.
There were only 4 466.
So, NHS Scotland has 2 044 more, 46% (of 4 466) more, per head.
3. 81% waiting for psychological therapy see within target time and 50% within only 3 weeks
From Public Health Scotland today:
80.6% of people of all ages started their treatment within 18 weeks of referral, compared to 79.4% of people for the previous quarter, and 81.4% of people for the quarter ending December 2022. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of people should start their treatment within 18 weeks of referral to psychological therapies.
50% of the people of all ages starting treatment started within 3 weeks of referral.
Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/
The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brown_(Scottish_activis
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
There is nothing ‘unprecedented’ about the Herald’s large ‘Writer at large’, all you need do is scroll through the acres of bullshit to arrive at the sign-off, usually a bland statement from a SG minister, to get the point, SNP shite – In this instance the large writer with facial hair vanity goes with “Government response” and a Maree Todd formulaic response…
There is nothing new in this https://archive.ph/P6oow approach from the “large writer with facial hair vanity”, and as ever you’re left wondering where you left your marbles, and why you wasted so much time even scrolling…
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The Tory/unionists underfunded the NHS for 14 years. Leading to higher waiting lists and lack of resources for treatment. Advances in medical science in the last ten years have improved life for people on the spectrum. In understanding and diversity. In the world. The world is now a better place for support and help. Major improvements in mental health and diversity, through greater knowledge.
Any lack of funding and waiting lists are down to the Westminster Gov policy of not funding the NHS properly. While wasting £Billions on projects of no value. Trident, redundant weaponry, illegal war, tax evasion, nuclear decommissioning. HS2. Brexit £Billions lost. All funds which could have gone to fund Education/NHS and welfare.
The Westminster choices which are out of Scotland control. Scotland has to mitigate the cuts. Covid funding £270Billion over two years by the Westminster Gov. £Billions wasted on non scrutinised UK Gov contracts and loans, that could have funded the NHS. Mone etc. Westminster Gov policy.
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