MSP calls for better support

A Paisley politician has called for an end to austerity and better mental health services to help cut suicide rates.

Mary Fee was speaking during a debate on the launch of the Scottish Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

The Labour MSP called for greater support for every family that is affected by suicide and called on all MSPs to work together to ensure well-funded mental health services are available to those suffering in silence.

The debate followed the publication of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services statistics showing that more children and young people are waiting longer for access to treatment and Ms Fee warned that more children will suffer if the right access and funding is not in place.

During the debate she said: “Behind every statistic on suicide is a loved one, family and community that faces the sad reality that a suicide was not prevented. All suicides are preventable in some way and people who have died from suicide did not need to suffer in silence or alone.

“We must send a message to families that are affected by suicide that we will endeavour to prevent their suffering from happening to others because every life matters.

“In times of austeritydriven public policy, it has remained harder to ensure that funding is available. That is why we must end austerity; we must invest in health and other public services that help to identify, reach out to, and support people who are at risk of suicide.

“It is disheartening that the most recent child and adolescent mental health services statistics reveal a record low performance on waiting times for children and young people who access mental health services.”