Concerns raised as the number of mental health officers in Renfrewshire falls

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Anyone struggling with their mental health may face delays when seeking treatment and accessing services as the number of mental health officers (MHOs) has fallen across Scotland.An estimated 79 extra full time mental health officers are needed to meet the shortfall in the workforce across local authorities in Scotland.

That figure was revealed in a new report published by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).The number of local authorities reporting a shortfall in the MHO workforce has increased to 26, from 23 the previous year.

Local authorities reporting a shortfall estimated an extra 2,840 MHO hours were required each week, which is up 49 per cent on the previous year. Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here. Claire Gallagher, head of operations at Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH), said: “We are trying to prevent people from going into the system of hospital stays because the hospitals are obviously overrun.