Help for mental health ‘is there’

Scots are encouraged to seek support from services if they need it

A number of measures to support mental health during the coronavirus crisis have been announced, with Health Secretary Jeane Freeman telling Scots: “Help is there if you need it.”

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, she encouraged people to take advantage of mental health services if needed.

Figures released yesterday showed a total of 1,571 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, an increase of 12 since Saturday.

A total of 12,097 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, a rise of 170 on the day before.

There are 1,666 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, with 99 in intensive care.

Ms Freeman noted this was the first time the number in intensive care had fallen below 100 since March 29.

She said: “It’s obviously encouraging news.

“It does show that the restrictions are working, but it also underlines the reasons why we need to stick to them.

“So I want to thank all of you for the sacrifices you have made and I know will continue to make.

“I know it is not easy, but I hope you are beginning to see, as we do, that those sacrifices are beginning to show results.”

She also paid tribute to a paramedic who had been infected with coronavirus, whose death was announced by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Responding to a question about PPE for frontline emergency service staff, very

Ms Freeman added: “We put in direct distribution routes to ensure that we could distribute PPE directly to our health boards, but also to the ambulance service itself as well as to social care and to primary care, including pharmacies.

“All of that is looked at by me every single day to ensure that the volume is there and we are maintaining that pace and that iterative, very focused work.”

As well as the previously announced £200,000 for autism organisations, £105,000 is being provided to Young Scot to create “a range of digital content on mental wellbeing”.

More than £700,000 will be provided to The Spark, a charity which provides relationship counselling services, allowing them to expand their helpline.

Ms Freeman also outlined new measures to support people affected by drug use.

The Lord Advocate has relaxed rules around the use of naloxone, a drug which can reverse opiate overdoses.

The health secretary said this move was being taken as a “precautionary measure”, as drug users may be particularly vulnerable to overdoses during the lockdown.

People leaving prison will also be given an enhanced offer of residential rehabilitation, backed by a £150,000 fund.

Public health minister Joe FitzPatrick added later: “While this public health crisis is ongoing, we must not lose sight of the fact there continues to be a significant number of highly vulnerable individuals who are at great risk of harm as a result of alcohol and drug use, who continue to need a wide range of help and support.”