Health secretary’s actions suggest there are problems in mental health services

I must take issue with certain views expressed by your correspondents who have the perception that “Scotland’s NHS mental health services are misrepresented in our media” and particularly by the BBC. (Letters 19 October)

More specifically, the authors of this letter seem to claim that while there is an 18-week target for the start of treatment of mental illness, there is always emergency care available for people considering suicide, and they blame the media for confusion about this.

Sadly, in my view, this is not the case as is evidenced by Jeanne Freeman, Scotland’s health secretary. She is quoted in a newspaper on 21 August as saying she is “gutted that the number of youngsters aged between 15-19 years taking their own lives has doubled in a year”. She also expressed so much disquiet about the absence of an out-of-hours emergency mental health service in Dundee that she set up an inquiry to look into this.

I am confused as to why the BBC is blamed for a panel member on their Debate Night programme having the opinion that it would be traumatic if all mentally ill people, whether suicidal or not, can wait up to 18 weeks for treatment. It seems to me dangerous and callous to justify the legitimacy of a 18-week waiting period for mental health treatment on the grounds that “many psychological/psychiatric problems are self-limiting and often resolve within four months without specialist help as people are genuinely resilient”.

In no way do I feel that the merits of NHS Scotland’s mental health services should be downplayed to the extent that people in crisis are put off asking for help.

On the other hand, it seems only right and indeed healthy in a free country for the deficiencies as well as the successes of all government services to be aired in our media SALLY GORDON-WALKER

Caiystane Drive, Edinburgh