The chief executive of Angus Council is to write to Scotland’s health minister with “grave concerns” about the potential closure of the county’s adult mental health ward.
NHS Tayside is investigating closing one of its three acute admission wards Carseview in Dundee, Murray Royal in Perth and the Mulberry at Stracathro Hospital.
A report was put before Tayside Health Board on March 10, which has been criticised for presenting “tokenistic” consultation and an intent to close the Mulberry.
A meeting of Angus Council has agreed to contact Shona Robison over how the affair has been handled.
Councillor Mairi Evans told elected members: “On first reading this recommendation seems fairly open.
“However, on reading the body of the report, and on further investigation this proves not to be the case.
“The report put before the health board was a result of very deliberate steps by them to close the Mulberry Unit at Stracathro and to initiate this process before the Integrated Joint Boards come into operation on April 1.
“It’s from their sheer haste to do this that we can see all the other issues with the process emerge one of these being the failure to adequately inform, engage and consult with people.
“Consultation on this was only done at the last minute and did not allow adequate time firstly for people to attend, but secondly to engage in real meaningful dialogue, done only as a tick box exercise.”
Councillor Jim Houston said: “To my knowledge there has been no financial case put forward regarding any of the options and to agree to move to consultation on this basis, beggars belief and I question the motives behind that.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor David May and unanimously agreed.
Mr May said: “I backed the motion calling on the chief executive expressing the council’s concerns to the SNP health minister, but following the council meeting I do not believe this goes far enough,” he said.
A statement from NHS Tayside said “no decisions” have been made by the board on any of the three general adult psychiatry in-patient units in Tayside.
A spokesman said: “The challenges of the availability of medical and nursing staffing on three sites was not sustainable and this could pose a significant clinical risk to patients and staff.
“Tayside NHS Board agreed with this clinical advice and agreed that a three-site model was not sustainable for Tayside.
“However, they also made it very clear that there was further work to be done to look at all options and engage widely with service users and carers, staff and communities.”
“The Mental Health Improvement Programme team will now embark on a further period of wider engagement with staff, service users, carers and the wider communities across Tayside over the coming months before bringing a paper back to Tayside NHS Board for a decision in late summer.”
Photo by Angus Pictures