Second charity football match in aid of young Dundee dad Lee, who took his own life

Jan 27, 2019 | Anxiety, Art Angel, Depression, Mental Health, NHS, NHS failures, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee, Public Inquiry, SNP, Steven Martin, Suicide

Lee Welsh

A second charity football match in aid of a young Dundee dad who took his own life after suffering from depression is to be held in the summer.

Lee Welsh, 27, was found dead at his Peddie Street home in the city’s West End in August 2017.

At the time, his dad Phil said that Lee, whose daughter Poppy was then aged seven, had battled mental health issues for the previous nine years.

Last year Lee’s childhood friend, Steve Martin organised a football match in memory of his mate which raised more than £1,000 for the Dundee Association for Mental Health (DAMH).

The event was so successful that a second one has been organised for July 20 this year.

It will be held at North End Park and this time the money raised will be donated to Art Angel on behalf of the Not in Vain for Lee charity.

As well as football there will be other attractions on the day including a bouncy castle, face and henna painting, a pipe band, live music and a demonstration by Dundee Mods Scooter Club.

Phil – who has actively raised awareness about mental health issues among young people since his son’s death – was thrilled with the turnout and the money raised last year.

He said: “It really was an absolutely brilliant day.

“We hope we can get the same response this year.

“It’s all about looking to the future now in raising money for our mental health charities.”

link to Evening Tele article here

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Mental health readmission rate rising in Tayside

Jan 20, 2019 | Carseview, Depression, Dundee City Council, John Alexander, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide, Suicide Prevention, Suicide risk

The number of people with mental health issues being readmitted to hospital in Tayside within a month of their discharge is increasing.

More than 16% of Tayside adults discharged from hospital, having been admitted on mental health grounds, were back within a month in 2016/17, according to new figures.

The readmission rate has increased from 11.9% in 2012/13.

NHS Tayside is above the Scottish average for mental health hospital readmissions in the most recent statistics compiled by ISD Scotland.

At 16.3%, it was behind only NHS boards in Dumfries & Galloway and Lothian.

The majority of patients readmitted after an initial stay in hospital were affected by mood disorders (36.9%), delusional type disorders (19.2%) and adult personality and behavioural disorders (15.8%).

North East Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Bowman said the increase in readmissions for depression is “very troubling”.

The ISD figures also recorded NHS Tayside region had the fourth highest suicide rate in Scotland, behind Forth Valley, Highlands and Orkney – 14.4 per 100,000 between 2012 and 2016.

Mr Bowman said: “At some point, one in four people will experience a mental health condition.

“NHS Tayside staff are doing their best to deal with the growing number of people who come to them with symptoms of depression and low mood.

“Because Tayside has such a high suicide rate, NHS Tayside needs resources to dig into why people come back to hospital so quickly.

“If it’s because of underfunding in areas run by councils and community healthcare partnerships, the SNP government needs to assess the potential damage it is doing by making cuts to local authority budgets.”

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Mental illnesses can be unpredictable and there are many reasons why a patient may require to be readmitted following discharge from hospital.

“Patients can sometimes experience a new episode of illness for which admission to hospital is the most appropriate course of treatment.

“Patients are discharged following clinical assessment from a consultant psychiatrist and are followed up locally within the community.

“There is no direct relationship between the length of time a patient is in hospital and the need to be readmitted.”

She added: “Anyone can become suicidal; the reasons can be different and very complex and it is not always due to mental illness. Each suicide is a tragedy and the impact on those left behind lasts a lifetime.

“Every suicide in Tayside is comprehensively reviewed by the Tayside multi-agency Suicide Review Group to look at the circumstances surrounding each individual case.

“f people are feeling suicidal, the best thing to do is talk and tell someone how they are feeling. Speak to someone you can trust or call a helpline. If you’re worried that someone else is suicidal, ask them – asking someone directly about their feelings can help them.”

Further help and information can be found by downloading the “Suicide? Help!” app, visiting www.suicidehelp.co.uk or calling NHS 24 on 111, Samaritans on Freephone 116 123 or Breathing Space on 0800 838587 or www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk

An independent inquiry into mental health services in Tayside is currently under way.

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Grieving mum still seeking answers 11 years after son died at Dundee’s Carseview Centre

Jan 20, 2019 | Carseview, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide

**Wilma is still heartbroken over the loss of her son Gavin (left)**

A grieving mum is still seeking answers 11 years after her son died at the Carseview Centre.

Gavin Allan was just 26 when he died from the “adverse affects of heroin” on January 17 2008.

His mum Wilma Hughes, from Douglas, said she still doesn’t know what happened in the hours leading up to her son’s death.

Wilma said: “I’m still looking for answers about how my son was able to get the drugs that ultimately killed him.

“It’s 11 years since Gavin died but I’m still grieving.

“I’ve decided to speak out now because things like this are still happening.

“Nothing can be done that will bring my son back but I want to speak out and stop this happening to someone else’s loved one.”

Wilma said that although he was never properly diagnosed, she believed Gavin could have been suffering from ADHD as a teenager.

She said: “I took him to the doctor but I was just told he was boisterous.”

Wilma said after he left school aged 16, Gavin started to dabble in drugs – but she wasn’t aware of that at the time.

She said by the time her son was in his 20s, he was smoking heroin and had to give up work.

“One night Gavin came to me and said he needed help,” Wilma said.

“He came to stay with me for a while but he became increasingly unwell and was suffering from mental health issues.

“He was on prescribed medication for drug-induced psychosis but things came to a head when he fell from his bedroom window and I found him lying on the ground.”

Gavin spent time in hospital following the incident, as well as a period in Carseview.

Wilma said: “It was while he was in Carseview and supposedly under 24-hour supervision that he was able to get away and find the drugs that resulted in his death.

“He managed to slip away, get himself to the Hilltown and bought heroin. He brought it back to Carseview and took it there. I don’t understand how he was able to leave the hospital without them knowing and without the staff being aware that he was missing. I want justice for my son.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: “Our thoughts remain with the family.

“Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on matters relating to individual patients.”

Link to Evening Tele article here

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Judge threatened suicidal woman with jail for ‘inconveniencing’ public after she threatened to jump off bridge for second time

Jan 10, 2019 | NHS Scotland, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide

Kimberley Macfarlane was charged with breach of the peace and told she could have faced a custodial sentence having ‘inconvenienced’ the public
The 24-year-old tried to jump off a motorway bridge in January 2018, resulting in a court case the following month at Dunfermline Sheriff Court
She had previously jumped off a bridge in August 2016, breaking two vertebrae in her back and leaving her in a brace for three months

A suicidal woman who was arrested after threatening to jump off a bridge said she was left feeling ‘like a criminal’ after a court threatened her with jail.

Kimberley Macfarlane, from Dunfermline, Fife, was charged with breach of the peace and told she could have faced prison because she ‘inconvenienced’ the public with her suicide bid.

The 24-year-old tried to jump off a motorway bridge in January 2018, resulting in a court case the following month at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Ms Macfarlane has been struggling with mental health issues ever since she was diagnosed with a rare condition called Fowler’s Syndrome that left her unable to urinate and in constant pain.

Kimberley Macfarlane (pictured) was charged with breach of the peace and told she could have faced a custodial sentence having ‘inconvenienced’ the public with her suicide bid

She had also previously jumped off a bridge in August 2016, breaking two vertebrae in her back and leaving her in a brace for three months.

The court heard traffic had been brought to a halt twice in successive days and road closures had to be put in place after she threatened to jump from a motorway flyover.

Sheriff Craig McSherry admonished her but warned that if it became clear she still posed a risk of further offending, prison was an option.

He said: ‘A custodial sentence would at least mean that the public are not being inconvenienced in this way.’

But Kimberley says she was left feeling ‘worthless’ following her court case in February.

After being dissuaded from taking her own life, Kimberley was taken to hospital.

Kimberley said: ‘I had run away from the mental health hospital I was in then spent the night in the cells after I nearly jumped off the bridge.

‘When we got to hospital it was hard, there was no one to talk to, then I was stuck in this room by myself.

‘When I appeared in court the next day I was handcuffed to a G4S officer and taken to a holding room for four or five hours.

‘If I was to hurt anyone it would only have been myself.

‘I was the only person in my holding area, no one was telling me what was happening, and when I had to go to the toilet I was escorted.

‘In the courtroom I burst into tears when my charge was read out.

‘They said there would be a possibility of a custodial sentence – I didn’t really understand it at all.

Kimberley Macfarlane (pictured in hospital before her nose operation) In 2015 Kimberley’s life was turned upside down when she underwent a nose operation for a sports injury and woke up unable to urinate

‘The sheriff must never have experienced poor mental health because he said I was being an ‘inconvenience’ because the road had to be shut.’

‘I felt like I was a criminal who had done something wrong – my mum saw me in handcuffs.’

Kimberley was charged with breach of the peace and allowed to go home, but her mental health was badly affected.

She added: ‘My solicitor said it might have been better for me to go to prison because I would’ve got the help I needed – he thought one day I might actually take my own life.

In a bid for change, Kimberley has become an NHS 24 Youth Form representative for Fife and spoken to her MSP for Dunfermline, Shirley-Anne Somerville.

‘There’s a massive difference between being admitted to a hospital ward and taken to a police cell.

‘Additional support should be required as people are often given better mental health care in jail rather than through the NHS – that’s actually quite worrying.

‘It would be good to shape how things are done in the future.’

The former captain of Dunfermline Athletic Ladies suffers from a rare condition which has left her unable to urinate and in constant pain.

In 2015 Kimberley’s life was turned upside down when she underwent a nose operation for a sports injury and woke up unable to urinate.

She was hit in the face while playing football and opted to get surgery to mend her squint nose.

But while in hospital, she developed Fowler’s Syndrome which affects one in a million women and can leave them unable to urinate.

What is Fowler’s Syndrome?

Fowler’s Syndrome is a rare urinary disease which affects around one in a million women in the UK.

It causes difficulty in passing urine and urinary retention due to the bladder’s muscles.

Fowler’s affects women in their twenties and thirties and up to half the patients affected have polycystic ovaries.

Sufferers may find they are unable to pass urine normally and need their bladders to be drained via a catheter.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms vary from being unable to hold any urine to being unable to empty the bladder fully.

Urinary infections may be a problem for women suffering from Fowlers Syndrome due to the bladder not emptying properly. Some women may also experience back and suprapubic pain.

The cause remains unknown and is still being researched.

Her GP had not even heard of the rare illness prior to her diagnosis and experts have been left baffled as to why it started following a nose operation.

She said: ‘I was only supposed to be in for one night but ended up spending three.

‘When I woke up my nose felt better, but I couldn’t pee.

‘I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but when I went into retention I was in agony with my bladder before they drained it.’

Having been active and healthy before, Kimberley left hospital with a catheter and since then has had to fight chronic pain and infections.

After hearing about her case, elite sports charity Support in Sport reached out to Kimberley and offered her free treatment.

They provided her with a free physio, who has been helping her with her back problems, and she will get access to a sports doctor and sports psychologist in January.

On December 4, Kimberley took part in a sponsored run at Hampden Park in aid of Support in Sport and the Express Group, a Fife-based mental health charity.

She said: ‘I almost didn’t want to turn up at Hampden because I thought I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

‘Running around the Hampden pitch was only 0.3 miles and not that big a deal for a fit person, but for me – where I’ve come from – it’s massive.

‘I never thought I would be able to run again.’

Kimberley has since raised £1,070 for the causes close to her heart.

She is remaining focused on the year ahead, trying to improve her fitness and is hopeful of playing football again.

She said: ‘I would say I’m turning a corner very slowly.

‘I still have doubts, but I have a little voice as well that that says I can do it.

‘This time next year, I hope things keep progressing and going forward, not backwards.

‘My dream is to return to playing football.’

For confidential support in the UK call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit the website

Kirkcaldy film maker shines spotlight on coping with depression

Jan 5, 2019 | Anti-depressants, Anxiety, Christmas, Depression, Not in Vain for Lee, Scottish Government, Seasonal affective disorder, Shona Robison, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide Prevention, Suicide risk

A Fife director is hoping to release a new film with a focus on coping with depression over the festive season in time for Christmas 2019.

‘Cold’, which has been written and produced by Kirkcaldy film maker Gavin Hugh, is being filmed in locations across Kirkcaldy, Stirling, Edinburgh and Aviemore, with two days of filming already in the can.

It is a huge personal undertaking for Gavin, who has previously worked for STV and Sky News and has been running his own Kirkcaldy-based video production business, MidgieBite Media, since late 2017 while also working part time at the Scottish Parliament as an assistant to Dundee City East MSP Shona Robison.

However, with the production funded through goodwill and his own pocket so far, Gavin and his team plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign early this year to help finish the film and release it in winter 2019.

“For a lot of us, Christmas is a happy time of year where we can celebrate and put all of our troubles to one side but for people suffering with depression it can be incredibly difficult to do that,” Gavin explained.

“We focus on how the pressure of trying to take part in the festivities and putting on a brave face just isn’t something that can be easily switched on and off in time with the days on a calendar.

“Taking care of your own mental health is easy to overlook. I’ve had my own issues with anxiety over the years, and some of the people that I’m closest to in my life have suffered from depression.

“Mental health issues can be challenging not just for the individual but for the people around them who are trying to offer support.

“As this film is drawing on a lot of personal experiences, it’s really important for me that our film gives an honest portrayal of these issues.

“While there’s an increasing awareness of mental health issues in mainstream society, we’re really hoping that the film can help encourage people to still be mindful of them at this time of year.”

Gavin has been involved in a lot of local film projects over the years, particularly with horror filmmakers Hex Media, and has recently been working closely with Robbie Davidson on his upcoming World War Two epic ‘Dick Dynamite’.

Most of the primary cast for Cold are Fifers, including Andrew Gourlay, Hana Mackenzie, Craig Seath and Iain Leslie, as are most of the technical crew.

Lead actress Rowan Birkett, a friend of Gavin’s from student days at Stirling University, has been travelling up from Ambleside in England to take part, while Dundee is also represented in Grant R Keelan, a city-based photographer who acts in the film as well as working in the technical team.

“It’s genuinely been great to work with so many talented local artists,” he added.

More details about the crowdfunding campaign will be announced in due course, and the plan is to hold a premiere of the new film in Kirkcaldy later in the year.

Link to Courier article here

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Tay Road Bridge chiefs pledge to tackle rising number of emergency incidents but warn against structural changes

Dec 29, 2018 | Anxiety, Crisis Centre, Dundee City Council, Not in Vain for Lee, SNP, Stewart Hunter, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Tay Bridge

Tay Road Bridge chiefs have pledged to tackle the rising number of emergency incidents reported on the crossing after admitting they are “nowhere near where we need to be” on the issue.

Data analysis taken from the bridge’s official twitter account shows an annual rise in reports of police call outs, from 21 in 2016, 23 in 2017, to a peak of 28 this year.

Many of the closures are due to people attempting to harm themselves on the span.

Officials pledged at the start of 2018 to probe whether anything could be done to reduce the number of incidents on the route after campaigners pointed to similar efforts being made in cities around the world.

Stewart Hunter, chairman of the road bridge board, revealed his team have looked at ways of making physical alterations to the crossing but found no structural change could be made without compromising its integrity.

He said: “From my point of view, one person on the bridge is one too many so any trend showing the numbers increasing would be worrying. However, even if it was decreasing, I would still be concerned for those individuals.

“There are a number of reasons why the numbers have increased and mental health is part of it. I think it would be irresponsible to focus on one aspect and ignore others.

“The Scottish Government, Dundee City Council and our partners are working hard to tackle this issue and make sure the people who need help get it. But obviously, there is still a long way to go and we are nowhere near where we need to be.

“As far as what is the best way to tackle the increase, we need to make sure that individuals have all the support they need long before it gets to the stage where they are on the bridge. That is where we will actually make the difference.”

Mr Hunter paid tribute to the “unsung heroes” working on the bridge who respond immediately when emergency incidents are reported.

Figures obtained from the twitter account show motorists were subjected to 132 days of disruption on the bridge this year for police and other incidents, such as roadworks, breakdowns and closures due to high winds.

It appears March’s Beast from the East weather disruption had a significant impact on traffic with the month seeing 18 days impacted by delays, more than any other in 2018.

Mr Hunter said: “We have a planned programme of maintenance and the increase this year is just about where we are in the maintenance cycle. The bridge is inspected regularly and any issues found are fixed very quickly.”

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