‘One-stop-shop’ mental health hub for youngsters opens in Dundee

Jan 17, 2020 | Carseview, Feeling Strong, Not in Vain for Lee

Life “felt hopeless” for Brook Marshall at the tender age of just 17.

He had been thrown into what doctors then thought was depression, triggered by the death of his grandpa, dropped out of high school and began a long stint of unemployment.

Brook’s life continued on a downward spiral as he sampled ten different types of anti-depressants before finding one that worked for him and wrestled with intense mood swings.

The 27-year-old, who lives in the city centre, said: “My behaviour was inconsistent and completely erratic.

“One day I was the happiest person in the world, the next I would spend all day in bed because I was depressed, the next I would be paranoid and suspicious of everyone and not talk to anyone

“Sometimes it wouldn’t even be every day, sometimes it could switch from hour to hour when it was at its most intense.”

The mood swings became unbearable for Brook, to the point where he attempted suicide and was admitted to the Carseview Centre.

Through his own research into mental health, Brook stumbled across a condition called borderline personality disorder and recognised himself.

**Robbie Matthews, Brook Marshall & Casjana Malicka Nicol.**

He said the realisation that he had this condition was like a “light bulb moment” of how he had been feeling his whole life.

An official doctors’ diagnosis soon followed and the appropriate medication has stabilised his behaviour.

Brook said: “I felt like I had been failed by the system.

“I suffered a lot of referral rejections, long waiting lists, my experience at Carseview was extremely negative and I was misdiagnosed for eight years.”

Through Book’s experiences he spotted a gap in the services provided, particularly a lack of peer one-on-one support and a holistic approach to mental health.

This led him to set up Feeling Strong around 18 months ago in an attempt to bridge the gap.

The mental health charity for young people focuses on supporting individuals with all aspects of life instead of solely relying on medication.

It has gone from strength to strength, now with six members of staff, 30 volunteers and ten projects under its belt, including running the Scottish Government’s ASSIST Suicide Prevention program.

And this month Feeling Strong opened a new “one-stop-shop” on Albert Street, where youngsters can access the charity’s services, receive referrals to partnership projects and simply hang out in the chill out zone.

Robbie Matthews, 24, services and impact manager at Feeling Strong, said: “There is a real vacuum when it comes to information and signposting.

“Young people don’t feel like there’s a place they can go for peer to peer support and they often say that mental health professionals don’t understand how they are feeling.

“The hub offers a safe place for them to come together and talk about mental health and to meet other young people who are experiencing similar issues.”

The centre can make referrals to green projects such as organised park walks, gardening and other outdoor activities.

Staff are also organising events such as a short cooking course and gaming events to encourage those with common interests to come together.

For more information see Feeling Strong’s Facebook page or download the app, which can be found by searching Feeling Strong in the app store.

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Mental Health services in Dundee are ‘the worst in Scotland’ according to one patient

Dec 24, 2019 | Carseview, Mental Health Awarness, Mental Health Crisis, NHS failures, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee

Mental heath services in the city are “among the worst in Scotland” according to one patient who feels she is being failed by the system.

Lynsey-Jane Gray, who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder and depression, has received care for her mental health struggles in other cities across Scotland in the past.

But since moving to the city two years ago, Ms. Gray has been left dismayed by the service provided to people here – prompting her to speak out about her concerns.

She said: “I have lived in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling and had excellent assistance, but I have never experienced anything like Dundee.

“There is no community psychiatric team and I have only been seen by the current team once or twice since I moved here. When you compare to the bi-weekly treatment I was receiving in Stirling, it’s abysmal.”]

Lynsey-Jane said that consistency was vital in helping cope with mental illness, but she has claimed she has rarely seen the same consultant twice during her time living the city.

“I never see the same psychiatrist twice and this exacerbates my condition she explained.

The city centre resident pointed to figures released earlier this year that showed that nine people per 100,000 people in Dundee have committed suicide in the last five years, claiming it’s evidence the system is failing people.

She said: “Dundee has the highest suicide rate in Scotland and it’s not difficult to see why when you look at the service that is available.

“There’s not enough practitioners, it’s going to put people off asking for help.”

Lyndsey-Jane said she tried to phone her doctor’s surgery more than 100 times before she was able to get through to the receptionist to book an appointment.

“My partner and I were on the phone simultaneously trying to reach them. I had phoned 131 times and he phoned around 20,” she said.

“By the time I got through, the response was ‘what is wrong with you today?’ What if someone was severely suicidal and wanting an appointment? It’s awful practice.”

The service provided to Dundonians is so bad that Lynsey-Jane claims she would have second thoughts about moving to the city if she had known about the level of care she would be able to access here.

The admin worker said: “There are many people out there, like me, who have complex psychiatric conditions that require regular support and Dundee is not providing this.

“If I had known it was like this, I would have perhaps decided against moving here.”

For Lynsey-Jane, the problem with the mental health provisions in the city lies with what she sees as a lack of funding and she believes those who are struggling are being let down.

The 29-year-old added: “The city seems so focused on the gentrification of itself that vulnerable people are being left behind.

“There is not enough practitioners in Dundee and you have to ask if they are doing enough to attract them to city.

“I have received care from Carseview also and the team have been brilliant but you can see they are stretched.”

A spokeswoman for Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Due to patient confidentiality we cannot discuss matters relating to individual patients.

“Community mental health services in Dundee offer a range of support to people experiencing challenges with their mental health and emotion wellbeing.

“A variety of specialist staff work within our community mental health services ranging from psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dietitians, speech and language therapists, mental health officers, social workers, peer support workers and a range of other support workers.

“Following an initial assessment an individual may be offered ongoing support from a range of professionals to best meet their needs.

“Patients requiring specialist mental health input may be referred to their local community mental health team based at Alloway Centre or Wedderburn House.

“Anyone who requires to be seen more quickly then can get an urgent or emergency referral to the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT).”

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Dundee’s Carseview Centre under fire again over treatment

Dec 24, 2019 | Carseview, NHS failures, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide

Controversial Carsview Centre has come in for more criticism after a barrage of complaints by former patients.

A number of former patients have contacted the Tele following reports of a death at the centre and criticised their treatment.

Now MSP Monica Lennon is calling for a probe into the claims.

She said: “It’s clear that there is something deeply wrong at Carseview and that NHS Tayside is failing to rebuild public trust and confidence in crisis mental health care.”

“These are very serious allegations and the former patients who have come forward should be commended for their courage.

“This is not an easy thing to do and they must get the right support if they decide to formalise their complaints. The Health Secretary wake up to what is happening and take urgent action.”

Meanwhile, two more ex-patients have come forward to voice their concern at the conditions they endured during spells in the centre.

One man, aged 52, from Dundee, said: “There should be some kind of inquiry.

“Are they waiting until someone dies or is seriously hurt before they are going to act?

“I was in Carseview back in 2013 for three weeks after a breakdown and was basically made to feel like a prisoner when I was escorted about the place.

“There seems to be no management structure in place. You get a little brown pill, or a little blue pill to calm you down. But you hardly meet any doctors and after you do then there is no follow up.

“You are like a case study, a guinea pig.

“You are brought in, escorted to your room and then the journey begins down hill.”

He added: “There is no segregation so there are patients who are psychotic mixing with others who are suicidal and others who have had a slight breakdown. It’s not right and it is time someone stepped in and did something about it.

“I actually made an official complaint when all my clothes that had been brought in disappeared. Nobody could find them and I kept complaining and tried to phone them up but they said they were too busy, or I just got fobbed off with emails and nothing much happened.

And another ex-patient from Dundee, a 60-year-old man, said he was admitted four times as a voluntary patient after feeling suicidal.

He said: “I witnessed lots of things going on that were wrong. And one time I saw four male staff who were trained, pinned down a young girl and stick a needle into her thigh.

“There should be a full investigation into what has been going on.”

NHS Tayside said it was unable to comment on individual cases, but urged former patients with complaints to contact them.

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Tayside mental health review hampered by ‘workforce challenges’ as objectors predicted

Dec 18, 2019 | Carseview, Murray Royal Hospital, NHS Angus, NHS cuts, NHS failures, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Not in Vain for Lee, Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership

Health chiefs say a controversial shake-up of psychiatric services across Tayside is being hampered by “significant workforce challenges” – exactly as opponents predicted more than a year ago.

NHS Tayside pressed ahead with its planned review in January, despite concerns that many staff would be unwilling or unable to make the move to new cities.

Under the scheme, leading disability inpatient services will be provided at Murray Royal Hospital, Perth, while services are being transferred out of the Mulberry unit at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin and general adult psychiatry acute admissions centralised in Dundee

However, members of the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board have now been told that the majority of staff – around 55% – are unable to move for a variety of reasons.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Gordon Paterson, chief officer of the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The progress of implementing the redesign programme has been slow and that is partly because of some of the significant workforce challenges, in relation to the proposed transfer of patients and wards from one site to another.

“We need to ensure that we have adequate staffing in place. We need to engage with nursing staff and clinical staff to ensure that that they can transfer from Perth to Dundee, or Dundee to Perth. If they can’t we have to make sure we can suitably redeploy them and there are some alternative options.”

He said: “We recognise that this is an upheaval for staff and we recognise that some staff can’t travel.”

Mr Paterson said it was crucial to get to the next phase of the plan, which involves shifting a ward from Carseview to Murray Royal.

“We are anticipating we will be in a position to progress this early in the new year, notwithstanding the fact we are sensitive to the impact and implications for staffing,” he said.

Independent councillor Xander McDade described the situation as “quite disturbing”.

He said: “At the meeting in January 2018, the main rationale for the redesign – which we were given repeatedly – was that the only way we could safely staff the service was to go ahead with this model.

“That was the clinching argument.”

NHS Tayside’s Alan Drummond said: “This was raised as a red risk prior to that meeting.

“It wasn’t a case that staff didn’t want to carry on their care for patients, they were just unable to make the move.

“We raised this as part of the consultation and we were told that the risk would be managed. This is not the unknown we are dealing with, this was raised three years ago.”

Mr Paterson said he was also aware that an independent inquiry into mental health services, led by Dr David Strang, was due to be published in February and could make further recommendations.

Dr Strang said earlier this year that the redesign should be halted to allow for a wider review of health services.

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Child forced to wait 425 days for mental health treatment in Tayside

May 13, 2019 | CAHMS, Carseview, NHS cuts, Not in Vain for Lee

Children have been forced to wait more than year for treatment after being referred to mental health services in Tayside.

One mental health campaigner described the figure as “frightening”.

Figures released by NHS Tayside in response to a Freedom of Information request revealed the longest wait for treatment to begin at the health board’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health service was 425 days – around 14 months.

A small number of children were also required to wait more than a year for their treatment to begin.

However, the health board said no child – defined as someone under the age of 16 or 18 if in full-time education – on the current waiting list for treatment has been on it for longer than 305 days.

Mental health campaigner Gillian Murray said there is “no excuse” for such lengthy delays between referral and treatment starting.

She said: “That’s frightening that a child has had to wait over a year for treatment, there’s no excuse for any wait that long.

“Isn’t there meant to be a set time limit when you’re legally meant to be seen?

“It definitely shows how poorly patients are being treated by NHS Tayside but I think those figures would likely be the same throughout Scotland, to be honest.”

Ms Murray’s uncle David Ramsay killed himself after being turned away from the Carsewive Centre at Ninewells Hospital and has campaigned for an independent review into mental health services in Tayside.

An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said patients are prioritised according to need.

She said: “There has been a lot of work undertaken by staff in our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to improve access to services for young people in Tayside over the past 12 months.

“We have been working closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland Mental Health Access Improvement Support (HIS) Team to deliver an improvement plan which will reduce waiting times. This includes a full CAMHS service workforce review and recruitment drive to key posts, to ensure that the team are fully equipped to manage the service demand and enhance the experience for children and their families.

“We are determined to continue making improvements to ensure all our children and young people receive the best quality care without delays and we hope to reach the national standard in the near future.

“When a child or young person is referred into CAMHS their referral will be scrutinised by our Clinical Specialist Referral Management Team and prioritised by clinical need into urgent, soon or routine. It is important that a child or young person who requires an intervention is seen by the right person at the right time.”

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Probe into Carseview abuse allegations could affect mental health services review

May 5, 2019 | Carseview, Mulberry Unit, Murray Royal Hospital, NHS failures, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, NHS Tayside Inquiry, Nicola Sturgeon, Ninewells, Not in Vain for Lee, SNP

A probe into serious abuse allegations at Carseview could impact a controversial shake-up of mental health services.

The first phase of a planned review, which will see general adult psychiatry acute admissions centralised in Dundee, is due to begin in June.

However, health chiefs say they are prepared to make changes if necessary,when the findings of an independent investigation into claims patients were pinned to the floor and mocked by staff at the Carseview mental health unit in Ninewells.

The Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board heard preparatory work on the mental health review is already under way, with the first phase due to begin in June.

The plan was agreed in January 2018, following months of consultation and protest. Learning disability inpatient services will be provided at Murray Royal Hospital Perth, after services were transferred out of the outdated Mulberry unit at Stracathro in Angus.

The board was given an update by the four-person panel leading the review.

Conservative councillor Colin Stewart asked: “We’ve heard that we need to work quickly to address risks, but we are also told there are delays to the redesign programme.

“I understand there is going to be an interim report on the independent inquiry published later this month.

“Have you had any indication that there may be points raised for action in this report, that might have implications for the redesign programme?”

Arlene Wood, associate director for mental health, confirmed she had not had any feedback or update on the review. “The clear steer that we have had from the chief executive is that we continue, for now, on the quality improvement and redesign programme because we know there are inherent risks in the system and this work needs to happen,” she said.

“It would be remiss of us to wait for the report. If there are things raised that require us to change our course of action, then we would address that at the time.”

The board heard the heads of health partnerships in Dundee, Perth and Angus were working on a Tayside Mental Health Alliance, to tackle a range of challenges facing the sector.

Professor Keith Matthews, associate medical director for mental health services said: “It would be a mistake to underestimate how challenging the environment is for mental health services.

“We have issues with recruitment and there are emerging difficulties with retention of staff.”

He said the Scottish Government was attempting to address a national shortage of psychiatrists with an international recruitment campaign.

“Although many efforts are being taken to resolve these matters, the likelihood of anything being resolved soon are pretty low.”

He added there was a need to move away from a workforce reliant on high-cost agency work.

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