Question reference: S4W-30360
- Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 7 March 2016
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 March 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in light of the publication by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland of the document, Report on unannounced visit to Forensic Acute and Rehabilitation wards, Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen, and what its response is to Recommendation (a) 1, regarding the hospital's use of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and (b) 2, regarding female patients being inappropriately placed in the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit due to there being no forensic acute or rehabilitation beds.
Answer
This report is one of the first batch of local visit reports to be published by the Mental Welfare Commission and I welcome the commission's decision to do this.
The commission requires a response to the report's recommendations within three months of the date of the report. It is my expectation that all of the recommendations will be addressed in full.
It is the responsibility of NHS boards to plan for the services that meet the needs of the people in their area. Due to the very small numbers of female forensic patients and the high level of specialism required to care for and treat the patients, it is often clinically safer and more appropriate to provide services on a regional or national basis.
NHSScotland forensic medium secure inpatient services are provided on a regional basis, with three medium secure units: Rowanbank in Glasgow serving the west of Scotland, the Orchard Clinic in Edinburgh serving the east of Scotland and Rohallion in Perth serving the north of Scotland. Women who require conditions of medium security are admitted to either the Orchard Clinic or Rowanbank.
Provision of low secure forensic beds is the responsibility of NHS boards. It is the responsibility of the NHS board to ensure that if a women is admitted to a non-specialist ward such as Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit that their care and treatment is appropriate to their needs.