SAS boosts mental health services after successful pilot

The use of a dedicated vehicle to respond to mental health emergencies is being expanded in Inverness following a successful pilot of the initiative, the Scottish Ambulance Service has announced.

Backed by £2.6 million Scottish Government funding over the past three years, mental health triage cars have been piloted in Inverness, Dundee and Glasgow since 2021, providing specialist frontline mental health workers to respond to incidents in communities.

Under the new plans, five new specialist staff members are being introduced to staff the mental health response car which will operate out of Inverness and provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The dedicated mental health response unit, based at Inverness Ambulance station, provides specialist mental health assessment, care, and support for people who are experiencing mental health challenges and who contact the Scottish Ambulance Service for help. 

Michael Dickson, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Our clinicians are often the first responders to have contact with a person experiencing mental health distress. These are patients with very specific needs and often require specialist help and support to make sure they get the right care.

“These units are staffed by paramedics who have undertaken advanced mental health training. The aim is to treat these patients at home, within the community, or through specialist mental health support and our staff work in partnership with mental health practitioners at New Craigs Hospital to provide the best possible support to any individual going through mental health distress.

“It’s been a really successful initiative so far and our ambition across all three pilot areas is to connect people to the most appropriate care to meet their needs and for them to get the right care, in the right place.”

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “I am delighted to visit the Mental Health Paramedic Unit today to mark the expansion to this service within Inverness following the successful pilot. It is great to see how Scottish Government is supporting this service to work with partners and mental health professionals to improve decision making and improve care outcomes.

“This is a dynamic and evolving service responding to people who need emergency mental health support and importantly, this expansion will allow that support to be provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Inverness.

“Everyone in Scotland, in need of mental health support should know the various ways that they can access help, whether through NHS inform, their GP, the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub or though SAS when there is an immediate threat to life.”