Our family had begged for help ...they shut the door on David
More pressure on Health Minister
THE family of a man who killed himself after being turned away from a psychiatric unit yesterday piled more pressure on the beleaguered Health Secretary to quit.
Relatives of David Ramsay said he was told to ‘pull himself together’ and ‘do normal things like walk the dog’ when he arrived at the unit – despite trying to take his own life three times previously and being referred by a GP.
Only days later, the father of two hanged himself with a dog lead during a walk. Mr Ramsay was a member of the SNP and last night his family called for Health Secretary Shona Robison to resign over the deteriorating performance of NHS Tayside.
The scandal was raised at First Minister’s Questions yesterday and sparked calls for a full public inquiry into mental health care at the Tayside health board.
Miss Sturgeon was told by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard that Mr Ramsay died four days after being turned away from the Carseview Centre in Dundee.
Gillian Murray, 28, who is
Family call on health minister to quit over suicide
Mr Ramsay’s niece, said he was told by a mental health nurse at Carseview to challenge his thoughts and ‘pull himself together’.
She added: ‘Even though he thought that zombies were coming in to get us, (that) I was hypnotised by the dog, he was told to pull himself together and go and do normal things like walk the dog. Well he did, because he hung himself with the dog lead.
‘That was the only advice he got. We were given no advice, we were given no help, we were off work so we were having to play nurses and psychiatrists.
‘So I’m having to Google on my phone how to care for a suicidal individual, how to care for someone with psychosis.
‘We were begging for help, David was asking for help. They shut the door on us and they are shutting the door on so many and I won’t stop until we have got a public inquiry.
‘Nicola Sturgeon has buried her head in the sand just now, but I will keep fighting because one more suicide is too many in Dundee. We have been saying this for years now and it’s still happening.’
NHS Tayside has been at the centre of the crisis engulfing the Health Secretary amid claims she failed to intervene despite its growing financial problems.
Asked whether Miss Robison should now resign over the crisis, Miss Murray said: ‘I think she has to – there’s no doubt about that.
‘She knew about corporate governance scandal at NHS Tayside for many years.
‘I don’t think it is any coincidence that the mismanagement of funds and patient care in NHS Tayside is deteriorating.
‘No matter how much they are putting on this facade that patient care is still a high standard – it’s not. Many bereaved families will tell you that something needs to change and something needs to change quickly because it could be anyone. It could be your son, your brother, your dad.’
Until his death in the autumn of 2016, both Mr Ramsay, who worked for a shoe repair and key cutting firm, and his niece had been SNP members.
But Miss Murray said the lack of action by the SNP, despite numerous letters to Miss Sturgeon, Miss Robison and her local MSP, Jo FitzPatrick, led to her quitting the party.
She said: ‘David paid into a party that won’t even help him when he is dead.
‘Both me and my uncle went to roadshows to see Nicola Sturgeon in Dundee.
‘I used to travel up to women’s conferences, so never in a million years would I have thought that I’d be sitting here with support from Labour, Willie Rennie has been an advocate for mental health and we are shunned by the SNP. Obviously I’ve cancelled my membership now.’
At Holyrood yesterday, Mr Leonard looked emotional as he referred to the case.
He said: ‘Tragically, David Ramsay’s story and the experience of his family is not unique in Dundee, so when I was in Dundee in March I backed the call by families for a public inquiry into mental health services at NHS Tayside.
‘Why has the First Minister’s Government remained silent on this crisis and silent on that demand for a public inquiry?’
He said ‘dozens of families’ may have been affected by similar experiences and want an inquiry, adding: ‘They are yet another fam- ily that has been failed by the Government. How many more families must be failed?
‘How many more families need to suffer before the First Minister finally recognises that now is the time for change?’
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘First, I take the opportunity to convey my deep condolences to the family of Mr Ramsay.
‘I understand that a member of his family has been in touch with the Scottish Government and that the Minister for Mental Health sent a reply to that relative last month.
‘Richard Leonard has raised issues about the Carseview centre in NHS Tayside. It is not right or fair to say that the Government has “remained silent”.
‘I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport has visited Carseview on a number of occasions.
‘I understand that the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland carried out an unannounced inspection of Carseview in March, and made a number of recommendations.
‘Let me make it very clear, as the Health Secretary and the Mental Health Minister have already done, that we expect NHS Tayside to respond fully to the recommendations within three months.
‘The recommendations have also, I understand, been shared with Healthcare Improvement Scotland. We will pay very close attention to NHS Tayside’s response, and if we consider that further action is required, that action will be taken.’
An NHS Tayside spokesman said: ‘As this is a legal matter we are unable to comment. Every suicide is a tragedy and we offer our condolences to the family.’
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch.
See www.samaritans.org for details.
‘How many more need to suffer?’