What extra support is the Minister providing over the winter to mental health services?
In the last two years (22/23 and 23/24) we have allocated £26.5m to health boards through service improvement funding to improve the availability of mental health service provision. This has included the establishment of 111 press 2 for urgent mental health support which has also been supported by an additional £1million to ensure 24/7, all Wales coverage. This, along with the core ring-fence funding for mental health, supports health boards to plan to meet demand throughout the year, this includes winter pressure.
We also invest in a range of easy to access support that does not need referral from a health professional. The aim is to ensure support is available when needed to take pressure of more specialist NHS services. This includes our CALL mental health advice-line, online cognitive behavioural therapy via Silvercloud and the BEAT Eating Disorder helpline.