Sick man told: ‘Get a taxi to Dundee’
Criticism over lack of ‘crisis’team at Perth hospital
A Perth man with mental health problems has spoken of the distress he suffered when he sought psychiatric help in the midst of a personal crisis only to be told to “get a taxi to Dundee”.
Speaking to the PA on condition of anonymity, the man said that when he contacted NHS24 to ask to see a psychiatrist at Murray Royal Hospital he was told he would have to be seen in Dundee instead - and that he would have to arrange his own transport there as well.
Later he learned this was because NHS Tayside took the decision in February this year to move Murray Royal Hospital’s out-of-hours “crisis” team to the Carseview Centre near Ninewells Hospital because of a shortage of doctors.
Explaining that over the last few years he had come to rely on the team when they were in Perth, the man said he was even further distressed under what were already very difficult circumstances when he was told he would have to take a 20-mile trip to the next nearest city to be seen.
The man said that in the end he decided not to go to Dundee but to battle through the crisis on his own with the aid of his medication, which fortunately started to take effect before his crisis deepened.
But he added he fears other patients who suffer from mental health problems more acute than his might be unable to cope in the same situation.
He told the PA: “[People] are phoning NHS 24 [with mental health concerns] and are getting told they have to get a taxi through to Dundee. You can’t see anyone at Murray Royal Hospital because there’s no-one there ... from 3pm until 9pm the next day.
“So if you start hearing voices [or] feeling suicidal in that time you’ve got to go all the way [to Dundee] in a taxi that you’ve got to pay for to see someone. It’s scary. I just don’t understand it. I think it’s a shambles.
“They spent millions building [the new Murray Royal Hospital] and it was supposed to be this state-of-the-art hospital for people who are mentally unwell ... so if they were in a crisis [situation] they would get the help they need.
“Now were getting told that we have to go to Dundee to get help. It’s an absolute joke.
“There’s a lot of people out there who are a lot worse off than I am and I just think this needs to be addressed.”
Responding on behalf of the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership (PKHSCP) its chief officer Robert Packham told the PA: “NHS Tayside and PKHSCP are committed to providing high quality, 24 hour, seven days per week assessment and treatment for patients with mental illness who present in crisis.
“As part of the implementation of the Mental Health Contingency Plan, which was introduced in February due to a shortage of junior doctors, the Perth Crisis Assessment Service, which was based at Murray Royal Hospital, transferred to the Carseview Centre in Dundee out of hours.
“This means that during the out of hours period, which is from 3pm and 9am on week days and at weekends, all out of hours assessments will transfer to Carseview where staff from the crisis response team will carry out these assessments.
“The Crisis Team will, when necessary, arrange transport for patients who present out of hours and are required to attend the Carseview Centre in Dundee.
“We remain committed to ensuring that patients can access the best treatment in the most appropriate place.
“There are no changes to mental health services provided in hours or to the provision of intensive home treatment in Perth and Kinross and NHS Tayside continues to review its mental health contingency plan on a regular basis.
“The contingency arrangements remain an interim solution and do not impact on the ongoing Mental Health Service Redesign Transformation Programme, which is undertaking a review of Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services and Learning Disability Inpatient Services across Tayside.”
A spokesperson for NHS 24 added: “Patient safety is our absolute priority and we are committed to ensuring Social care partnership chair Robert Packham
that patients are directed to the most appropriate source of care for their needs.
“NHS 24 welcomes all feedback about the 111 service and if a person is not happy with the advice given we would encourage them to contact us that we can fully investigate their concerns.”