Support for Early Day Motion
There has been a focus on health and, in particular, mental health in my work at Westminster this parliamentary term.
World Mental Health Day was on October 10. I was very pleased to highlight its significance by sponsoring an Early Day Motion in parliament to mark its occasion, which has now garnered cross-party support.
It is extremely important that we improve awareness of mental health conditions, reduce stigma in seeking help and ensure increased accessibility to services.
One in four people will experience mental health difficulties so it is much more common than we think and adolescents are particularly at risk of first episodes.
Both adult and child and adolescent mental health services are, therefore, vital and prevention and early intervention are key.
Please contact me about your experiences to inform my work in this area.
I will be visiting local mental health services and continuing to raise mental health issues in parliament and via my work in the health select committee. Parliament also marked Baby Loss Awareness Week with an emotional debate where colleagues spoke poignantly of their own and constituents’ experiences of still birth and miscarriage and of service improvements required.
It was important that I raise the issue of miscarriage, and having had this experience myself, I know just how devastating it can be.
Further research into prevention and support for those families going through miscarriage is required.
A review of the care pathway could assist in ensuring the best care available and that all possible is done to prevent baby loss. I was pleased this session to speak about the value of art therapy for mental wellbeing in parliament and to highlight the positive outcomes that this has, particularly for people in prison and patients in secure settings.
I had first-hand experience of its value when I worked at our state hospital and saw the rehabilitative effects of art work on patients’ self-esteem and the impact it had on positive life choices.
I was also able to highlight the excellent art work undertaken locally by the Agape group in East Kilbride for people with mental health issues.
Locally, this last week has been a particularly devastating one for East Kilbride as a result of the tragic road traffic incident involving local schoolgirl Megan Scott.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Megan’s family and friends at this time, and I would urge anyone who has pertinent information to please contact the police. Our constituency continues to offer support locally and to undertake excellent charity and community work that benefits many.
I was very pleased to present a cheque to the Children’s Hospice Appeal Scotland for £3700 on behalf of Westwood Golf Club.
Since 2002, the golf club have raised £20,000 for the charity and I wish to particularly commend Gary Butterworth (a fellow East Milton Primary School pupil) for all of his work in this regard.
We are together going to visit CHAS to meet the staff and children affected and to see first-hand the excellent care undertaken.
One in four people will experience mental health difficulties so it is much more common than we think...