Current status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for access to psychological support for bereaved parents.
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies, for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.
Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.
Alongside MNPI services, the Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality and delivery of psychological services across a range of settings, including adult mental health services. Over the period April-June 2025 78.3% of patients accessed psychological support within 18 weeks of referral and one in two people started treatment within four weeks. We continue to provide enhanced support to those Boards not on track to meet the waiting times standard, with a focus on improving the quality of care in Psychology Services.
Whilst workforce planning and service delivery are the responsibility of local partners, the Government’s ongoing investment in the psychological therapies' workforce has led to a 32.7% growth since March 2021. We also continue to fund NHS Education for Scotland to maintain student intake for Master's and Doctorate training programmes to ensure a strong psychological therapies’ workforce is maintained.