Further work required to improve mental health care at NHS Tayside, report finds

NHS Tayside has made some good progress since a damning assessment of mental health care almost three years ago, but there “remains a lot to do”, a follow-up report has said.

An Independent Oversight and Assurance Group was set up to monitor mental health services in the area after 51 recommendations for change were made.

That report, published in February 2020, revealed patients who talked about suicide had said they were being told to “get a grip” and “pull yourself together” by staff.

It said a “radical transformational redesign of mental health services” was needed.

The final report published on Wednesday concluded that “progress has undoubtedly been made” – describing this as being “significant” and “commendable” in some areas.

But it added: “While some good progress has been made, there remains a lot to do.”

It said there is an “urgent need” for improvements which could lead to “a more open and transparent culture and building trust among the communities of Tayside”.

A report in June highlighted “three specific areas that required urgent attention”, and the group’s latest update said it had “not yet seen plans to take these issues forward”.

These include making progress on plans for a single site for inpatient mental health care in Tayside, and addressing the “issue of significant delayed discharges”, which can see people having to stay in hospital for “longer than they needed to be”.

It is “imperative” these issues are tackled with “pace and ambition and in a way that engages with patients, families, partners and communities”, the oversight group said.

Mental wellbeing minister Kevin Stewart praised the Independent Oversight and Assurance Group, saying it had been “meticulous in their approach to this work”, with members having spoken to staff and patients.

“This is a vital piece of work which focuses on improving mental health services for the people of Tayside,” he said.

“We are committed to continuing to work with the three local authorities in the Tayside area, NHS Tayside as well as Police Scotland to support the ongoing improvements in the delivery of mental health services.”

He said the Scottish Government will provide “additional support”, including advice from professional advisers and senior officials in the mental health directorate.

Mr Stewart added: “With this approach, I hope this will go some way to help restoring the public’s trust and confidence in mental health service provision in Tayside.”

Tayside Executive Partners – which brings together the chief executives of NHS Tayside, Angus Council, Dundee City Council and Perth and Kinross Council, alongside the divisional commander for Tayside in Police Scotland – has now pledged to produced a “detailed improvement plan” by the end of March.

In a statement, it said: “The final report of the Independent Oversight and Assurance Group acknowledges many improvements in mental health services in Tayside over the past year, and this is welcomed.

“The positive feedback will also be valued by teams across NHS Tayside, health and social care partnerships and community planning partnerships, who have delivered improvements in the very challenging health and care environment of the past three years. We are very grateful to them for their work.

“Today’s report sets out six key areas for action and a detailed improvement plan will now be developed by partners and submitted to Scottish Government by March 31.

“One of the areas for immediate focus is the development of a new plan for the delivery of the Tayside-wide Living Life Well strategy.

“Openness, transparency and meaningful engagement with patients, families, partners and communities is central to this strategy and a new programme of relationship-building involving mental health teams and people with lived experience is already under way.”