Newly released figures show the number of calls made to NHS 24 calls for mental health issues in Scotland has ‘skyrocketed’ over the past three years, as Scottish Labour call for a reversal to the mental health funding freeze.

Calls come for government action to protect mental health services in Scotland as statistics released today through a Scottish Labour Freedom of Information Request show that the number of abandoned calls made to NHS 24 in 2022 is around 63 times higher than in 2019.

The total number of calls made to NHS 24 for a mental health concern has risen from 20,434 in 2019 to 139,008 in 2022, a sharp increase of 580% in just three years.

In 2019, just 645 of calls for mental health issues were categorised as ‘abandoned’ and now some 40,0836 calls were ‘abandoned’ in 2022. Scottish Labour’s mental health spokesperson, Paul Sweeney said:

“The numbers speak for themselves – Scotland is in the grips of a mental health epidemic and people need all the support they can get.

“The legacy of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis has been challenging for many people's well-being, but an increase in demand for mental health support of this level is alarming.”

Despite the vast increase in total calls likely to place additional pressure on NHS 24 call services, the average wait time remains under 10 minutes.

Although the total number of calls for mental health issues increased from 138,297 in 2021 to 139,008 in 2022, both the number of abandoned calls and waiting times decreased in the same period.

Around 9,000 fewer calls were abandoned in 2022 compared to 2021 and the wait time dropped by over two minutes, from 9 minutes 58 seconds to 7 minutes 28 seconds.

Mr Sweeney said that this increase may be a result of rising pressures on other areas of Scotland’s health service:

“There is a concerning risk that this jump in mental health calls is partly due to people not being able to access the help they need from another primary care provider due to prolonged waiting lists.”

Poverty Alliance’s Ashley McLean told healthandcare.scot last year that mental health services in Scotland are falling below where they need to be to support people experiencing multiple deprivations.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlighted the particular mental health challenges facing those in poverty in the biggest ever Scottish survey of people’s experiences of poverty. It revealed that 70% of single parent families reported negative mental health impacts linked to their money worries.

Ms McLean said that the additional pressures on the NHS have left other organisations offering support “maxed out” as they try to meet demand.

Now, Mr Sweeney is calling for the Scottish government to increase spending on mental health services.

This comes just a week after healthandcare.scot heard from the Chair of Scotland’s Mental Health Partnership, Lee Knifton, who called for the mental health service budget in 2023/24 to be increased.

He expressed dismay at a failure to increase spending, saying that current funding is set to lead to a real terms reduction in support for mental health when demand is at an “all-time high” and services are experiencing extreme pressure.

Labour’s mental health spokesperson, Mr Sweeney said:

“The SNP must start taking their commitment to increase mental health funding to 10% of the NHS budget seriously, starting by reversing their mental health funding freeze in the 2023/34 budget so that this unprecedented demand is met proportionately and efficiently.”

The Scottish government has been asked to comment.

Read more: Perinatal and infant mental health funding extended; Scots mental wellbeing declined since pandemic; Mental health: including men at the margins; Mental health review: Expand MWC scope

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox and you can follow healthandcare.scot on Google News.