University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, which hosts mental health services across Lanarkshire, has released an update on the delivery of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan, highlighting significant progress in making it easier for people to access mental health services.
Making it easier to use mental health care has been a key area of improvement with North Lanarkshire’s Integration Joint Board hearing that Primary Care Mental Health & Wellbeing teams are now actively supporting 91 GP practices across Lanarkshire, providing faster and more direct mental health support.
A dedicated Mental Health Flow Navigation Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, significantly reducing pressure on emergency departments, with an 82% reduction in police attendance at hospital Emergency Departments for mental health concerns.
Members of the Integration Joint Board also heard that new Advanced Nurse Practitioners in custody suites are making sure that individuals detained have immediate access to specialist mental health assessments out of hours.
Digital innovation has been a key driver of improvements with services including CAMHS, Psychology, and Psychiatry actively using the Near Me virtual platform, helping thousands of patients conveniently access care from home.
Award-winning partnership working is also evident through the Psychiatric Liaison Nurse Service which has received three awards, including recognition for its innovative community police triage model, showcasing excellence both locally and nationally.
Councillor Anne McCrory, chair of the North Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board, said: “This update demonstrates the important progress being made by the dedicated staff across our mental health services whose dedication and commitment have driven these vital improvements.
“Their hard work, compassion, and innovation are making a huge difference to people’s lives across Lanarkshire. We’re deeply committed to building on these achievements to ensure everyone receives the mental health support they deserve.
“The report outlines encouraging developments, including the establishment of dedicated specialist teams, such as the Community Perinatal Mental Health Team and the Infant Mental Health Team, that are significantly building on the progress already being made in targeted care.
“This good news is very welcome; however, we recognise there’s still work to be done. Key areas we’re focusing on include reducing waiting times further, particularly in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and continuing our vital work to reduce stigma surrounding mental health.
“We’re actively engaging with communities, service users, and staff to continuously improve our services. Our goal remains clear — to provide excellent mental health care for everyone who needs it in Lanarkshire.”
