This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and as a subject that is very close to my heart, due to family experiences with mental health issues, I thought I would briefly write about this.

It is very important that mental health is given greater levels of support than it currently is. I know of both adults and children having to wait months for a specialist appointment, which would be unacceptable in physical health situations. It is unacceptable in my view for mental health issues too. We see far too many people failed, and this can result in personal tragedies. Mental health must be given parity with physical health in order to ensure we as a society can provide the best possible healthcare.

In Fife there are various aspects of mental health that are currently being highlighted. Council staff, as part of Mental Health Awarenesss Week, have been given guidelines on dealing with stress. A report on Our Minds Matter, the Fife Council approach to emotional wellbeing, will be presented at next week’s Education and Children’s Services Committee which I am looking forward to. Yesterday there was a Mental Health Engagement Event run by the Fife Health and Social Care Joint Board which while I was unable to attend, I am awaiting eagerly some feedback from the event from one of my fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors.

It is pleasing to see progress in Fife on mental health issues, and I hope we can continue to build on this.