The Scottish government is making significant steps to improve its regulation surrounding the care of people with mental health problems.

Ministers have outlined a major new strategy that aims to improve the service in hospitals and care centres around the country. The regulation changes will take place between now and 2015 and officials have stated that this will help provide a more effective and improved level care.

The move is to ensure that all patients suffering with mental health problems will be able to see a doctor or specialist quickly and be administered with the right form of medication and treatment as soon as possible.

Public health minister Michael Matheson has said that the new strategy will contain 38 commitments that the government plans to enforce over the next three years, each of which are designed to improve the departments dedicated to this form of illness.

He noted that there would be a concerted effort to provide faster access to mental health services, especially for younger people. There will also be measures put in place to speed up patient's access to psychological therapies, as well as officials working hard to reduce the current suicide rate and tackling issues such as discrimination.

Mr Matheson said: "In Scotland we are proud of what we have already achieved in promoting rights and recovery, addressing stigma and improving outcomes for people who use services and their carers – ensuring people receive more effective, quality care and treatment, more quickly than ever before."

The public health minister went on to say that the government will work with its partners across the NHS and local councils in order to ensure that these measures are effectively put in place. 

Mr Matheson added that throughout this strategy there is a clear focus on a number of measures that people can take to help themselves as well as within their own community to assist in how they are able to deal with their specific health problem.