Mundell welcomes programme for Scotland's veterans
David Mundell has welcomed the UK Government’s latest commitment to improve mental health care for UK Armed Forces veterans.
The government has committed almost £600,000 from the LIBOR fund – fines levied on the banks for attempting to manipulate the LIBOR interest rate – for Mental Health First Aid, in partnership with Combat Stress, the Royal British Legion and SSAFA – the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association – to design and provide the training.
The funding will be used to train 200 veterans, their families and people who support them over the next 18 months, who will then go on themselves to train around 6,200 members of the Armed Forces community across the UK by the summer of 2015.
Commenting on the announcement Scotland Office Minister David Mundell said:
“Today’s announcement highlights this government’s continued commitment to improve the provision of mental health care for service personnel and veterans.
“Training veterans and their families to spot the early signs that someone is suffering from mental health problems is a vital first step in getting them help. By the summer of 2015 around 6,200 members of the Armed Forces community across the UK will have received Mental Health First Aid training. This programme offers the opportunity to make a real difference to thousands of people’s lives.
“Since the armed forces covenant was published in May 2011 we have delivered a number of improvements in mental health care provision. These include the integration of mental health assessments into routine service medicals and the establishment of a 24 hour helpline and a support and advice website. The Mental Health First Aid training programme is a further sign of our commitment to improve the level of care available for our service personnel and the veterans community.”
Note to editors
Further information on the scheme can be found in the press release from the Department for Health.