Sarwar outlines Scottish Labour plans for mental health emergency service

A Scottish Labour government would create a new emergency service to ensure people in mental health crisis get urgent and specialist care, Anas Sarwar has said.

Speaking ahead of his party’s Scottish policy conference on Saturday, the party leader declared Scotland’s mental health services are in “crisis” and accused the SNP of “neglect”.

He said: “After almost two decades of SNP Government, Scotland’s mental health services are in crisis.

“They promised parity between physical and mental health, but instead we’ve seen soaring waiting lists, slashed budgets, and thousands left without the treatment they need.

“While mental health services have been hollowed out, it is our police officers who are picking up the pieces. They are overstretched, overwhelmed, and expected to act as the emergency service of last resort.

“That is a failure of Government, not a failure of policing. I refuse to allow this neglect to continue.

“A Scottish Labour government will create a dedicated mental health emergency response service so that when people phone 999 in crisis, it is trained NHS professionals who respond.”

The service would be manned by specially trained paramedics, nurses and mental health professionals.

They would deliver immediate support, specialist triage and safe transfer to the right place for ongoing care.

Building on similar schemes in Sweden, Amsterdam, and parts of England, the aim would be to prevent unnecessary A&E transfers and significantly reduce reliance on police support.

Scottish Labour’s plan forms part of a wider shake-up to cut “NHS bureaucracy”.

The party said it will combine NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service into a single emergency response and advice service, ensuring seamless 24/7 care for people in crisis.

Mr Sarwar continued: “This is about fixing the basics – cutting red tape, rebuilding frontline services, and ensuring people get the right care at the right time.

“Scots deserve better than the waste and incompetence of the SNP.

“In just six months Scots will have a choice – more failure with the SNP or a Scottish Labour government that puts their priorities first.”

The proposals also include improved mental health training for A&E clinicians and expanding the availability of psychiatric liaison nurses to deliver round-the-clock triage in emergency settings.

Published: 22/11/2025 by Radio NewsHub