Politicians are known for paying lip service to the need for better mental health services.
They say mental ill-health should be treated just as seriously as physical problems.
The tragic case of Olivia Johnstone from Blackburn, West Lothian confirms the gap between rhetoric and reality.
Olivia took her own life at the age of 24 after a battle with mental health issues.
She had a spell in hospital, but was then placed on a long waiting list for psychiatric help and died while waiting to see a specialist.
Her devastated mum Elaine said: “She passed away before ever getting that appointment and the help she needed.”
Many families will recognise the anguish of a loved love having to wait a long time to get the treatment they urgently need.
They fear delayed services will send sons and daughters into a spiral from which they cannot extricate themselves.
The Scottish Government needs to understand the lessons of Olivia’s case and urgently review the mental health services provided by the NHS.
The pandemic has only made things worse, as a huge backlog of cases is waiting to be resolved.
We cannot allow a situation to continue where people are dying while languishing on waiting lists.
A major injection of funds is required to cut waiting times and give vulnerable people the care they need.
Words must be turned into action.
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