The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Vow to provide mental health care from birth to old age in Tayside
Health bosses have vowed to provide mental health support from birth to old age to everyone living in Tayside.
The pledge was made at the launch of NHS Tayside’s Living Life Well strategy yesterday as the board set out how it intends to put patients at the heart of transforming mental health services over the coming years.
It follows an independent inquiry mounted in 2018 after concerns about local services were raised at the Scottish Parliament.
A report by Dr David Strang was published in February 2020 which made 51 recommendations.
Currently around one in four adults will experience a mental health problem during their life, which equates to 87,465 people in Tayside alone.
It is hoped the changes in the Living Life Well strategy will make patients an equal partner in decisions about their care.
They will be encouraged to speak about their care to make sure their needs, personal circumstances, values and expectations are reflected.
Patients will also be supported to lead active lives and have greater access to help beyond mental health support.
There will be a much greater focus on care in the community, so hospitalbased treatment is only given where it is necessary.
Urgent care will also be extended with round-theclock access to in-person and online support services.
Other key changes highlighted in the new strategy include improvements to wards, a new perinatal mental health team, an infant mental health team, and early intervention in psychosis team and greater consideration of the wellbeing of staff.
At the board meeting where the strategy was launched, Grant Archibald, chief executive of NHS Tayside, said its contents had been endorsed by those with lived experience and those in the community.
“It is for everyone, not just those who present at hospital,” he said.
“Our commitment is to lift the health of the entire population rather than being better at dealing with it when it is in crisis.
“It is not just for when you are ill, it is to try and help you not become ill, that is what ‘Living Life Well’ is all about and that involves a whole series of things such as employment, education and routes out of poverty.”
Kate Bell, interim director of mental health and learning disabilities at NHS Tayside, added: “This is a lifespan approach from birth to old age.
“It was set up as a public health priority and it is a plan, it is not aspirational.
“We want large-scale changes to improve mental health services over the coming years.”
Brook Marshall, from the Dundee youth mental health charity Feeling Strong, was among the contributors.
He said gaining people’s trust and respect had been a key recommendation of the independent inquiry and this had been reflected in the creation of the strategy.
“It represents meaningful change in the long term with a genuine appreciation amongst the community,” he said.
Police and councils in Tayside were also involved in drawing up the plan.
Chief Superintendent Andrew Todd, Tayside divisional commander at Police Scotland, said: “We will continue to work alongside other key partners to support the delivery, and we remain committed to playing our part in supporting the needs of the people we serve in our communities.”
Margo Williamson, chief executive of Angus Council, said: “The pandemic has highlighted the awareness and importance of supporting our mental health and wellbeing as much as our physical health.
“We are committed to this strategy across Angus and it will form an important part of our recovery plans.”
Greg Colgan, chief executive of Dundee City Council, agreed: “This approach will help us to meet the significant additional challenges that have been caused by the coronavirus pandemic.”
And Barbara Renton, interim chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council, said: “Mental health and wellbeing services are a critical part of healthcare and will be more important than ever as a result of the pandemic.”