Positive report on hospital

INSPECTORS have issued four recommendations for Murray Royal Hospital management to follow after an inspection.

The Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) of Scotland said that activities for patients should be improved.

Management must also ensure regular audits of care plans take place, and signage is made better, following an unannounced visit to Leven, Garry and Tummel wards at the Perth hospital in September.

In addition, the MWC recommended hospital bosses ensure doctors record information detailing treatment plans for patients.

T h e c o m m i s s i o n ’s report on its visit to the three old-age psychiatry wards was mainly positive, having reviewed the care and treatment of 12 patients and spoken to five relatives, as well as staff at various levels.

The report said t he MWC observed “warm and caring” interactions between staff and patients in the Garry and Tummel wards and they saw “very good attention” was paid to patients’ physical needs across the three wards.

“We heard about the good links with general medical services based at Perth Royal I nfirmary (PRI) and about the regular visits a general medical consultant from PRI was now making to the old-age psychiatry wards,” the report said.

The commission also found patients seemed to have good access to independent advocacy services and described the wards as “spacious” with patients having access to outside areas.