New mental health boss appointed
Susan Scott, PLUS Perth’s development manager NHS Tayside has appointed a new associate medical director for mental health services.
On Wednesday NHS Tayside announced that experienced clinician and internationally-renowned clinical researcher Professor Keith Matthews had been promoted to the post.
Professor Matthews has been a consultant psychiatrist for over 20 years within the Tayside area, with 15 years experience of planning, developing and leading the nationally commissioned advanced interventions service which is based at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
He said: “I am delighted to have been offered the opportunity to work with the excellent local clinical community to improve services for the people of Tayside.
“There are many significant challenges currently faced by mental health services, both locally in Tayside, but also nationally.
“However, excellent, safe and sustainable mental health service provision is achievable.”
Susan Scott, development manager at PLUS Perth and Kinross added: “From mental health service users accounts, Professor Matthews is very much a‘people person’and an excellent communicator, unlike the outgoing director, which is a big plus as this could provide the leadership which has been lacking in NHS Tayside mental health services for around 20 years now.
“What I am less assured about at the minute, is how much he will advance recovery within services with his background so heavily steeped in the medical model.
“I’m extremely encouraged to hear Professor Matthews say that he is ‘looking forward to building partnerships with patients and carers to develop‘innovative systems’of care’. This is the news that service users have been waiting for.
“PLUS will be expecting a phone call or message from Prof Matthews very soon in order to progress this and hopefully an ongoing productive and mutual relationship on which to re-build our mental health services.”
Professor Matthews was one of two new appointments announced by NHS Tayside chairman John Brown in the wake of Tuesday’s‘Breaking Point’ – a damning BBC Scotland programme, revealing patient experiences at Carseview Centre in Dundee.
An NHS statement announced the appointment of David Strang as the chair to the independent inquiry into mental health services in NHS Tayside.