Emergency services team up for new campaign

NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance service have launched a new campaign to support mental health and wellbeing for people across Scotland.

This comes in time for World Mental Health Day on Saturday.

The campaign – Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health – aims to raise awareness of the range of information and services available.

It has been developed to support wider partnership working between the three organisations as part of a joint response to the Scottish Government Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

Over the past 18 months, they have been working together to develop new ways to support people in mental health distress when they contact their services.

NHS 24 has created a new 24/7 Mental Health Hub that provides support for those contacting the 111 service.

In addition, people calling Police Scotland in mental health distress are also now offered access to the 111 Mental Health Hub service. Collaboration work with Scottish Ambulance Service is also underway to develop a similar pathway.

Under the banner Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health, the partners are able to signpost to a range of self-help guides and options for further support at www.nhsinform.scot/youmatterwecare

Stephanie Philips, director of service delivery at NHS 24, said:“We are able to support many of those who come into contact with our services to find support and self-care options in their own communities, but we are also absolutely reinforcing the message that if you need help now, there are a range of services available to you.

“We really want people in mental health distress to know that they are not alone.

“Our team is here to help those getting in touch with our services with a compassionate response.”