Walk-in mental health hubs to open in Scotland ending waiting list misery (2025)

The first Nook will open in Glasgow this autumn, with further hubs to follow in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and Lanarkshire.

A network of walk-in mental health hubs are set to launch in Scotland this year.

The initiative, led by the national mental health charity, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), aims to end mental health waiting list misery for tens of thousands of people across the country. The Nook - a first of its kind - will open in Glasgow this autumn, with further hubs to follow in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and Lanarkshire.

The facilities will provide barrier-free access to mental health support, giving people who are struggling a place to get help fast. There will be no need to book an appointment, no need for NHS referrals, and no waiting lists.

Scotland’s mental health nose-dived during Covid and has yet to recover, with tens of thousands of Scots on waiting lists battling to access support.

The Nook is SAMH’s response to this national crisis. Each Nook will include an extensive outreach programme, helping many thousands more based in surrounding areas.

Steve Tufnell, from Falkirk, faced bullying at school and rejection from his family at an early age, leading to a struggle against depression for most of his adult life. The loneliness and isolation he experienced came to a head during the Covid lockdown, when he began having thoughts of suicide.

After receiving help from SAMH, Steve was able to get back on the right track and enjoy life again. He has hailed the Nook as "an absolutely fantastic idea".

Steve said: "A friend let me know about SAMH and it’s a miracle really. If that hadn’t happened, I really don’t know where I’d be now. The Nook is an absolutely fantastic idea. Somewhere relaxing, and you can take the weight of the world off your shoulders.“It would definitely have helped me."

Bailey, 19, was also targeted by bullies throughout his childhood. They began suffering panic attacks and spent 18 challenging months on a waiting list for help from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

They believe having access to a Nook would benefit others in a similar position.

Bailey said: "I got bullied badly because I was different. I was scared and anxious all the time. I had anxiety attacks when I was young, often for no reason.

"I had my initial referral to CAMHS when I was eight. I spent 18 months on a waiting list, it was difficult. I was falling behind in school and my attendance was really low.

"I needed support and I wasn't receiving it. I have a psychiatrist now. I see him twice a year. It feels like if I'm not on a waiting list, I'm waiting for something to get better.

"The wait is difficult. At the start I was hopeful but that withered away when I was receiving the sub-par support. It would have been helpful to have a place where I could have walked into with no wait and had somebody speak to me there. Being able to come in with no waiting time at all definitely would have helped me."

SAMH says transformational initiative will only become a reality with support from the public. The Nook is supported by SAMH’s first ever major appeal, with a target of £10m to fund the hubs for three years.

Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: “We believe people with mental health problems should be able to ask once and get help fast, so we’re taking action to make that a reality. The Nook is the most ambitious thing we’ve ever done. We believe it will revolutionise mental health support in Scotland – and inspire collective action to change the system in the longer term.

“The most important aspect of The Nook is the delivery of effective, compassionate and person-centred mental health support that empowers people to improve their wellbeing and manage their mental health challenges. We need public support to help make this happen – and we can open more Nooks in more communities with more support.”

Shona Littlejohn, Chair of SAMH, said: “Scotland is in a mental health crisis. We have waited long enough for investment in better community mental health support. People are sitting on waiting lists, unable to access the help they need, while too many of our young people are rejected from support.“Something has to change. We are a trusted provider of mental health support and we are ready to take action. By creating our first Nook in Glasgow, we will create the change we believe is needed to help the many thousands of people experiencing mental health problems in Scotland.

“We have waited long enough for the government and other bodies to solve this problem. It’s time to take action, it’s time to create change, and that’s what the Nook is all about.”