Health and health and social care services in Lanarkshire have sent 70th birthday wishes to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF).

The charity celebrated seven decades of promoting good mental health for all, helping people understand, protect and sustain their mental health, and received birthday greetings from NHS Lanarkshire (NHSL), South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (SLH&SCP) and Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire (H&SCNL).

The 70th birthday celebrations come as Lanarkshire continues with its work to produce a Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (MH&WS) which has been in development since October 2018.

Titled ‘Getting It Right for Every Person’ (GIRFEP) A Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy for Lanarkshire (2019-2024), members of the public, third sector organisations, and staff groups have all contributed to developing what has become a shared endeavour to deliver a plan to transform mental health & wellbeing in Lanarkshire.

The strategy’s executive lead, NHSL associate nurse director Anne Armstrong, also from H&SCNL, said: “We would like to congratulate the Mental Health Foundation on this magnificent landmark.

“Like the MHF, our aim is a world where people can talk freely about their mental health and well-being as they would any physical ailment, safeguarding their mental health and wellbeing, where possible prevent mental ill heath occurring and, when needed, being able to access support, care and treatment easily.”

Echoing this Val De Souza, chief officer of the SLH&SCP, said: “Understanding and raising awareness of the factors that determine good mental health and wellbeing and how to influence them positively, are key to making mental health easier to talk about.

“This is why the work of groups such as the MHF are so important.”

Ross McGuffie, chief officer of H&SCNL, said: “Here in Lanarkshire our comprehensive strategy reflects partners’ shared vision and will deliver improvements in the mental health and wellbeing of Lanarkshire’s population.

“We all look forward to a Lanarkshire where mental health stigma and discrimination are eradicated.”

‘Getting It Right for Every Person’ (GIRFEP) A Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy for Lanarkshire (2019-2024) is now entering its final phase of production and – once through the formal approval process – will be launched in October 2019.