NHS: One-third of mental health report recommendations complete

Kate Bell, interim director of mental health at NHS Tayside, said it has already implemented one-third of the recommendations made in the Strang Report.

She said: “All recommendations in the Trust and Respect report were accepted by the Tayside NHS Board in February 2020, with 49 of the 51 being for NHS Tayside and partners, and two which will be delivered by the Scottish Government.

“NHS Tayside made a clear commitment to engage with all stakeholders in helping shape the delivery of mental health services in response to Trust and Respect.

“All of these recommendations being implemented were developed by engaging with all relevant stakeholders – including those with lived experience – to co-create the Listen, Learn, Change action plan, submitted to the Scottish Government as a response to Trust and Respect in July 2020.

“There is an ongoing process to implement all 49 recommendations, with more than a third complete and the remainder well under way.

“Some of the recommendations were short-term and have now been addressed, such as improved levels of carer involvement in planning people’s care, strengthened support for junior doctors and other newly qualified practitioners, and a new student referral pathway.

“Thanks to the contributions of many people, especially those with lived experience, we have completed the Tayside mental health and wellbeing strategy ‘Living Life Well – a Lifelong Approach to Mental Health in Tayside’.

“The strategy can be viewed on the Living Life Well website.

“The Living Life Well website was also developed with input from key stakeholders and is a one-stop-shop for information and updates about the work going on to improve mental health and learning disability services across Tayside.

“Other recommendations are medium to long term, such as conducting a whole system review of mental health and wellbeing provision to set out a change programme for the redesign of mental health and wellbeing supports and services in Tayside.

“Work is also progressing on a rapid review of mental health inpatient services, and developing new models for urgent and crisis care and integrated substance use and mental health services.

“A new transition pathway for young people aged 18 to 24 is also being introduced.”

A Broughty Ferry dad has wowed neighbours with his snow sculpting skills.

Douglas Roulston, an artist and father of two, has left his neighbours on Blake Avenue speechless with snow sculptures of two hit sci-fi characters.

The wintry masterpiece depicts Star Wars characters the Mandalorian and “Baby Yoda” (officially known as Grogu).

He constructed a similar snow statue of Darth Vader three years ago.

The artist, who teaches at Forfar Academy, said: “My son’s favourite show right now is the Mandalorian.”

Douglas has chosen to use the attention his work is getting to raise money for the ARCHIE Foundation, a charity which raises money for Tayside Children’s Hospital.

The art teacher’s Gofundme has raised more than £400 for the group, smashing the initial target of £150.

He said: “I designed an Oor Willie for the ARCHIE Foundation before so I thought it would be nice to do this for them.”

The icy creation took Douglas and daughter Niamh two days to complete.

Meanwhile, in Invergowrie, a 62-year-old has put smiles on the faces of her grandchildren with her own snow sculpture.

Ann Hay, a granny of nine, challenged her family to a building contest since they wouldn’t be able to see each other.

She has impressed them with her blue-green dinosaur, dyed with food colouring.