The GSD says it notes and supports the call by the Gibraltar Mental Welfare Society for the publication of the Mental Health Strategy Plan. 

A statement from the GSD follows below: 

The GSD filed questions in Parliament last week which sought confirmation as to whether the Government will publish the road map arising from the publication of the Mental Health Situational Analysis Report. It will be recalled that the Situation Analysis report was published 18 months late and contained damning statements about the lack of a national policy and an identifiable mental health budget amongst 48 other key and significant recommendations for the improvement of mental health services in Gibraltar. 

The GSD also notes that despite the serious concerns identified by the Mental Health Situational Analysis Report key personnel within the service appear to have left without thought to how this key area of health is to be resourced. Mental Health resources need to be judged against Gibraltar’s current needs and clearly to lose key psychologists posts is affecting the support available to people with real mental well-being needs.

Shadow Minister for Health Elliott Phillips MP said:" Back in November 2020 and 18 months after the Government received the situational analysis report the Government said they were 'pleased to publish the report with a very clear plan and a vision as to how to bring together our services in a joined up way that addresses the needs of the community'. On the same day the Minister for Health tweeted that ".. a great deal of work already undertaken since its [the report] receipt'. In fact, no clear implementation plan was produced or published. We are still none the wiser as to how precisely the Government is approaching the 2019 Report and what it will implement or not implement. If the Government has a clear strategy like it says it has then it should be published. The reduction in resources in key personnel and failure so far to publish the road map is affecting the delivery of mental healthcare and impacting the welfare of the most vulnerable.  It is now 2 years since the Government received a report which identified serious concerns about mental health provision and the lack of a clear road map. Additionally, the 2020 Report specifically on Ocean Views should also be published without delay to provide an insight into the current situation at that facility. Despite the many promises and press releases the Government continues to fail some of the most vulnerable people in our society in their handling of mental health provision"