NHS Highland consultation on review of mental health services in Argyll & Bute welcomed

Highlands MSP, Jamie McGrigor, has welcomed NHS Highland’s consultation on the review of mental health services in Argyll and Bute. He advised all individuals in the area who have experience of the mental health services here – in addition to the local health groups – to be sure to make their views known during the consultation period.

Commenting on the good reputation of Lochgilphead’s Argyll & Bute Hospital, McGrigor said: ‘I would of course want to see any reconfiguration of services achieving a set up that was at least as good, if not better, than what we have now.

‘I am willing to be open-minded at this stage on the balance that has to be struck between specialist acute services and community mental health facilities but I share my constituents’ strong desire- which NHS Highland has already found in the informal consultation so far-  for services to be as local to people’s communities as is safe and achievable.

‘Therefore I would have real concerns about the ‘option 5′ which suggests no mental health inpatient beds would remain within Argyll & Bute. My worry here would be that the extra travel involved- perhaps over long distances- for vulnerable patients, their carers, family and friends would add stress, cost and inconvenience for my constituents at an already very difficult time.

‘I suspect that the vast majority of my constituents in Argyll & Bute and service users themselves will want to see the retention of at least a sustainable proportion of the adult inpatient beds we currently have’.

ForArgyll.com hosts the website of the Cowal Mental Health Forum whcih is run by and for mental health service users in Argyll. The entire area of mental health service provision is a cinderella existing to support those for whom the hours before midnight are as stressful as those after it.

Jamie McGrigor’s focus on the issue and his encouragement to all those with informed views to make them known is a very positive step.

His highlighting of the option that Argyll and Bute should no longer have any inpatient mental health beds is timely, demanding attention and action.