Further improvements in care required at Skye House, says minister

More needs to be done to improve care at a mental health facility for young people despite improvements, a minister has said.

Inspectors assessed the facility in the wake of a BBC documentary which alleged there was a “culture of cruelty” at the Glasgow treatment centre.

A report released earlier this year following a joint inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWC) found some staff “could not be relied upon to be compassionate or empathetic” towards patients.

The report claimed a “minority” of staff believed some patients “chose to behave in the way they did”.

Speaking in Holyrood on Wednesday, mental wellbeing minister Tom Arthur said improvements had been made, including around the use of restraint as well as the creation of a “zero-tolerance approach to any and all inappropriate behaviour”.

However he added: “Whilst I acknowledge that improvements have been made, I am clear that more still needs to be done to ensure that the care at Skye House reaches the high standards which every young person in Scotland has the right to expect.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is accountable for care and treatment at Skye House and I now expect the board to be laser-focused on driving up those standards of care.”

An action plan has been put in place and the Government expects the board to “at pace” implement it.

“I understand that weekly checks and audits of all treatment forms are now in place, a multi-disciplinary review of legal processes is under way, and the board is working closely with the commission to ensure full compliance going forward,” the minister said.

Mr Arthur announced plans for better funding for the MWC to allow more “rigorous inspections”, including some lasting several days, while HIS will monitor the progress of the action plan and report issues to the Government.

The minister added: “These reports set out a number of challenges for these services moving forward, but they do also highlight many positive aspects and, critically, they give us a clear path forward.

“The young people and families who spoke up did so with extraordinary courage, we owe it to them to ensure that care at Skye House and across all our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inpatient services is safe, compassionate and rooted in the rights and dignity of every child.

“I am absolutely determined that the changes now in train are delivered at pace during the remainder of my term.

“I am committed to doing everything in my power to deliver that change and restore public confidence.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been contacted for comment.