Urgent action is required to address the gap in life expectancy between Scots with mental health problems and the general population, health experts have warned.

The Health Inequalities Conference in Glasgow was dominated by the release of statistics which show that Scots suffering from mental ill health die on average 20 years earlier than the general population.

The conference was co-hosted by mental health charities Bipolar Scotland and Support in Mind Scotland, in partnership with NHS Health Scotland.

Speaker Dr Alastair Cook, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: “We can’t continue to accept the fact that people with mental health problems die 15 to 20 years earlier than the average in the population. We need to find a way of shaping our services to change that situation.

“There is a whole range of positive things we can do. What we need to do is to set the goal to make that change, and then all these different actions will follow behind that.”

Among the speakers was mental health campaigner Graham Morgan, representing advocacy group HUG (Action for Mental Health).

He spoke of his experiences of mental health services in Scotland, outlining his belief that there remains a very real discrepancy in the quality of care for mental and physical illnesses across the country.

He said: "We need to look at the basics of this discrimination, the need for fairness in spending on mental health and physical health. At least in England we have heard commitments to do something about this – I haven’t heard this so far in Scotland."

To coincide with the conference, the Mental Welfare Commission published six priorities which it urged the Scottish Government to include in its next mental health strategy.

In its statement the Commission called for a new strategy to be built around a rights-based approach to mental ill health, for faster access to care to be provided for children and young people and an end to the unequal provision of care.

The commission also pointed to a lack of skills and training across Scotland, calling for a new approach to workforce development to deliver a modern mental health service.

Colin McKay, chief executive, Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, said: "Our first priority is to ask the Scottish Government to set a target to reduce the difference in life expectancy between people with severe mental ill health and the general population.

"The facts are shocking, with men dying 20 years earlier and women dying 15 years earlier than they otherwise would, largely due to poor physical health. That has to change.

"In many ways all five of our other priorities can be linked to this first priority. We are calling for a co-ordinated public health approach, linked to a central target, and measurable objectives set year on year. Other countries have made this a public health priority, and we need to do likewise."

The Scottish Government responded by defending their record on investment in mental health services, pointing to an increase in the availability of care under their governance.

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said:

“Mental health services are an absolute priority of this government. That's why we have been investing heavily in mental health services for a number of years, and waiting times have come down significantly, despite a rise in the number of people seeking help, and more people being treated.

“The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to the parity of mental and physical health. Indeed, this is enshrined in Scottish law.

“We are investing an additional £150 million to improve mental health services over five years. This will include funding to bring down waiting times, improve mental health responses in primary care, improve child and adolescent mental health services and promote innovative projects to treat mental health conditions.”