An opening date for a long-awaited mental health crisis centre in Dundee still has not been confirmed, following several delays.
The Community Wellbeing Centre, which will operate from a former Hillcrest property on South Ward Road, was originally planned to open in 2021.
But a series of delays has left those in need of emergency 24/7 mental health support still waiting – nearly five years after the idea for the centre was first mooted.
The last delay was caused by road closures following a fire at the nearby former Robertson’s furniture store.
Four months later, the keys for the site have been handed over but an opening date has yet to be revealed.
Phil Welsh, founder of the Not In Vain For Lee campaign, has been calling for a crisis centre in Dundee since he lost his 27-year-old son to suicide in 2017.
He understands a “soft opening” of the centre is planned for next month but operators Penumbra did not confirm this when asked by The Courier.
A Penumbra spokesperson said only that announcements and an opening date will be made “in due course”.
Phil added: “The delay has been frustrating, however, considering we have been campaigning for this crisis centre for five years, as we refer to it, I can accept another few months, as long as we get it right.
“The centre will help fill a gap in provision for folk who are at the pinnacle of crisis, this is much needed and very welcome.
“Dundee has an appalling record of adult suicide and this centre may offer a glimmer of hope in tackling this insidious issue.”
Series of delays
The Community Wellbeing Centre was initially due to open in 2021 following a lengthy campaign by activists.
The opening was then delayed until March 2022, then until August, with issues with building materials and manpower being blamed for delay.
A Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership spokesman said: “Handover of the building has taken place and fitting out is underway.
“Announcements about the operation of the Community Wellbeing Centre and an opening date will be made in due course.”
A spokeswoman for Penumbra said, “Announcements about the operation of the Community Wellbeing Centre and an opening date will be made in due course.”
Mental health support is available via Samaritans by calling 116 123, emailing jo@samaritans.org or visit their website to find details of your nearest branch.
A dedicated mental health emergency vehicle will soon be introduced in Dundee to prevent people in distress ending up in A&E.
Operated by the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership (DHSCP), it would carry a paramedic and a mental health nurse to offer immediate psychiatric help.
A&E is generally viewed as not being the best environment for someone emotionally distressed but is still deemed suitable in some instances.
First for the city
Vicky Irons, chief officer of the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership (DHSCP), says the agreement is a “phenomenal” development.
“I came across this type of service, as many people may have, through some of the media attention there has been with celebrities doing pieces on mental health,” she said.
Usually such projects see a psychiatric nurse give an initial triage assessment before recommending the most appropriate response to emergency services.
It may be an ambulance or an unmarked car but in some areas is also driven by the police.
Custody a ‘last resort’
Patients across Scotland often complain about being shipped between hospital and crisis services by police after officers receive a 999 call for concern for a person.
Although welcoming the introduction of a dedicated vehicle, chairperson and councillor Ken Lynn sought reassurances the 24-hour centre would be fully operational “as soon as possible”.
Locality manager Arlene Mitchell said she was “confident” a building will be found by autumn and operational before the end of 2021.
A spokesperson for DHSCP said: “Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership is delighted to have been chosen by the Scottish Ambulance Service as one of the next project sites to introduce a specialist mental health response to people contacting emergency services because of emotional distress.
“The project will see the introduction of a mobile unit, jointly staffed by paramedics and experienced mental health nurses, who will be able to assist with both the physical and mental health needs of callers.
“The mobile unit will be operational seven days a week during evenings and into the early hours of the morning.”
A senior politician has said no stone should be left unturned if the city is to address the deepening mental health crisis.
Labour leader on Dundee City Council Kevin Keenan said that the independent inquiry into mental health services in NHS Tayside published this week, which set out 50 recommendations, raised very concerning issues.
Mr Keenan said: “Everything I have read so far shows that there needs to be some level of spending from Dundee City Council to help achieve the recommendations laid out by the report.
“I have written to the council’s chief executive David Martin to ask what that level of financial commitment will be.
Mr Keenan added: “I have also asked him to address the issues and have further asked whether there is any opportunity to receive government funding given that the NHS in Tayside has effectively let down individuals and those in need of care.”
Mr Keenan said that the council had a crucial role to play as one of the partners involved in caring for people with mental health issues in Dundee.
He said: “Through our council housing services and our social work department we regularly come into contact with people with mental health issues.
“I want to know how we can provide better support, particularity following on the concerns raised by the independent inquiry report.
“There is little doubt that there is a link in Dundee between mental health and drug taking issues and the previous Fair Commission held in the city highlighted this and committed to providing appropriate care.
Mr Keenan added: “It also concerns me that many children in Dundee suffer as a result of mental health and drug issues.
“We should be looking at how we can best support these children. We have one of the highest number of Looked After Children and many sibling groups would have been split – something which I understand this report has been very critical of.
“I would hope that we could have some level of case review undertaken fairly quickly – if we are getting it wrong for any child then we must address this promptly. ”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “The chief executive will respond to Bailie Keenan in due course.”
A grieving dad who lost his son to suicide has accused Tay Road Bridge bosses of putting “cost and inconvenience” before lives.
Phil Welsh, whose son Lee took his own life in 2017, has called for suicide prevention measures on the bridge.
But he was told barriers could not be installed due to the huge expense and significant traffic disruption the work would cause.
Phil, who is also campaigning for a 24/7 refuge centre in Dundee, said: “Every other day there are reports of people being present on the bridge and we are all very clear what their intentions are.
“I got in touch with Councillor Lynne Short, chairwoman of the Tay Road Bridge Board, and received a response which left me very concerned.”
In an email to Phil, seen by the Tele, Ms Short said engineering consultants had been approached last year about the implications of installing barriers.
“It is estimated that full design costs would be in the order of £250,000, with actual construction costs in the order of £8 million,” Ms Short wrote.
“To strengthen and install the barriers would be hugely disruptive and take in the order of one year, with the bridge reduced to single-lane traffic for this time (six months per side).
“It should also be noted that while such work might deter someone intent on harming themselves, it would in no way guarantee that they would not be able to.”
Phil accused officials of putting money before human life.
He said: “It would appear changes could be put in place to prevent people climbing over on to the other side of the walkway, but cost and inconvenience appear to supersede crisis.
“The saving of a single life should supersede these factors.”
Speaking to the Tele, Ms Short said: “We take the welfare of every bridge user, especially those who are vulnerable or in crisis, extremely seriously. Every single suicide is a human tragedy.
“We are acutely aware the Tay Road Bridge has become a focal point for people in crisis.
“The bridge manager and his team are dedicated to supporting vulnerable people who present at the bridge, backed by investment in new cameras in 2017 and a thorough training programme for all staff.
“Although bridge availability has been affected on many occasions to allow staff and police to deal with incidents, actual suicides are rare.
“Bridge staff regularly attend suicide prevention meetings to discuss how we all might contribute to suicide reduction across the region, and act on any new initiatives that are applicable to the bridge.
“Any physical measures introduced to the bridge have to be effective and while these might deter someone intent on harming themselves, it would in no way guarantee they would not be able to.
“What is critical is that people who are having suicidal thoughts have someone or somwhere they can turn to when these thoughts become overwhelming so that they do not get to the point of acting on them.”
Superintendent Graeme Murdoch of Police Scotland told the Tele that in the three months to the end of September this year, officers responded to 60 reports of concern for people on the bridge.
Last year, the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board published a Q&A explaining why suicide prevention measures had not been installed, saying barriers were “not practical” due to the 52-year-old structure being unable to support the additional weight.
Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for action to make the Tay Road Bridge safer for people who are thinking of ending their lives.
An online petition demanding measures are put in place to make it harder for people to consider using the bridge to take their own lives.
The Change.org petition has amassed nearly 400 signatures at time of writing, with a target of 500.
It calls for measures such as barriers to be installed in protect vulnerable people.
Michael Low started the petition after a friend took their own life.
He said: “My personal mission is to take this to the authorities.
“The fact is there needs to be higher fencing or other materials or methods to ensure that the Tay Road Bridge is no longer available in a person’s hour of distress.”
The petition has been backed by Phil Welsh, who lost his son Lee to suicide in August 2017.
Phil said: “The bridge needs to be looked at with the evidence that things like barriers can’t be put in place.
“As well as supporting the petition, I have sent a letter to the bridge board asking about protections on the bridge. I haven’t heard anything back yet.
“We’re just trying to keep the conversation going as much as we can because there’s a lot more that can be done to help people in need.
“We’ve also been campaigning for a 24-hour crisis centre, like in Edinburgh.
“I do think they should look at what can be done at the bridge, with barriers being a big one. If it is the case that they can’t put barriers in place then that’s fine, but I would like to see evidence supporting that.
“All routes should be followed before making a decision.
“The grassroots support should be there to help people before they get to that stage, but there should still be something at the bridge.”
Officials from the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board have examined such measures and ultimately decided it was not feasible to make any substantial changes to the bridge’s structure.
The bridge deck cantilevers — long beams or girders commonly used in bridge construction — would be unable to support additional barriers because of the strain windy weather would put on them, it has been claimed.
Board vice-chairman Jonny Tepp said the bridge management are actively looking at ways to make the bridge safe.
“They do their best to make themselves aware of what action can be taken,” the Liberal Democrat councillor for Tay Bridgehead said.
Dundee City Council also launched an online campaign last month highlighting where people can go for support if they are having suicidal thoughts.
If you need help, or need someone to talk to, a Samaritans volunteers can help.
Contact them on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org.