Mental Health and Wellbeing Leadership Board: delivery plan progress report 4 - September 2025
The fourth progress report assessing the delivery of the strategic actions found within the mental health and wellbeing strategy, the accompanying delivery plan and workforce action plan, including a summary of identified risks and issues.
Actions Delivered Since Last Reporting Period and Known Achievements/ Impacts/ Learning
Action 8 (section 1.3)
Funding was issued within the financial year to NHS Boards using the mental health outcomes framework.
Action 15 (section 2.3)
Scottish Government published the Mental Health Nursing Review report: Advancing our Commitment to Care, Compassion and Connection on 20 June 25. Building on the recommendations of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce, this report will help ensure a flourishing, sustainable mental health nursing profession in Scotland.
The Review’s process was informed by human centred design principles, extensive consultation and was supported by a robust evidence base, including a literature review and research around stigma experienced by the profession.
Three Advisory Groups, which included mental health nurses across all sectors, students and academics, co-designed the Review’s report.
Our National Mental Health Nursing Conversations included engagement with over 1000 mental health nurses and students and views from those with lived and living experience and carers, with thanks to Carers Trust and VOX Scotland.
The report’s five overarching themes and 24 recommendations, include activity focused on strengthening the contribution and impact of the profession; mental health nursing leadership; education and development; nurturing the workforce and rural and island considerations.
Next steps include establishing a Mental Health Nursing Review Implementation Group to ensure effective collaboration, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the Review actions.
Action 16 (section 2.3)
The Psychiatry Recruitment and Retention Working Group have published their final report with recommendations. The report sets out recommendations which cover both the training and education of psychiatrists and how to recruit, support and retain the psychiatric workforce in NHS Scotland.
The Working Group membership included the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, the Senior Medical Managers in Psychiatry Group, Centre for Workforce Supply, NES and representatives from workforce including trainees. They considered a wide range of factors which influence recruitment and retention as highlighted in the College’s State of the Nation report.
The action moving forward is to support the implementation of recommendations once agreed by Ministers.
Action 20.1 (section 3.1)
Through the Education and Training Advisory Group led by NES a new Learning Starters page within Turas has been developed to sign post people to education resources associated with mental health and wellbeing. This first iteration will be further developed and improved following feedback from stakeholders, workforce volunteers and carers.
Action 47 (section 5.1)
The Health and Social Care Staffing Act commenced in April 2024, the implications of the enactment of the legislation have been realised. Other policy developments and professional standards will need to be considered on a rolling basis.
Action 52 (section 5.2)
The Scottish Government have funded Scottish Recovery Network (SRN) for the Creating Hope with Peer Support project up until December 2025.
Action 57 (section 5.3)
This published resource promotes the role of spiritual care for all staff including those across all sectors and settings providing end of life care and bereavement support through the new Spiritual Care Framework. We have promoted this resource and others through channels such as the Board Circulars.
To note, alongside this report please refer to the published Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan – Update on Progress and Next Steps.