WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER, 2024

Immediate release

NHS Tayside Learning Disability inpatients move: new report highlights significant buildings and environment issues at Strathmartine Centre

A report by the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) published today (Wednesday, 18 September) has re-stated the significant buildings and environment issues at the Learning Disability (LD) inpatient units at the Strathmartine Centre in Dundee.

The immediate findings of the MWC unannounced visit had already been shared in verbal feedback to the NHS Tayside leadership team back in June. This resulted in last month’s operational decision by NHS Tayside to progress a move for all Tayside learning disability inpatients to available, modern accommodation at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.

The transfer to a single site for Strathmartine patients, as well as individuals currently in the Learning Disability Assessment Unit in Carseview Centre, means a new centre for all learning disability inpatients will be created on the Murray Royal campus over the next 12 months.

The move to care for all inpatients on the same site had been an agreed direction of travel for the organisations involved in caring for LD patients for a number of years. However, recent reviews of the accommodation at Strathmartine and today’s report by the MWC have resulted in last month’s agreement by Tayside NHS Board to bring the timescale for delivery significantly forward.

Today’s MWC report specifically highlights the environmental challenges faced by patients and staff at Strathmartine, detailing a number of urgent issues which required to be addressed. A rapid response plan was developed following the verbal feedback from the MWC visit in June 2024 to ensure immediate action was taken over the summer.

Ongoing monitoring of the environment and completion of the urgent actions are being taken forward by a Strathmartine team which involves staff from infection prevention and control, estates, health and safety, and the mental health and learning disability leaders. Their work is ensuring both the environment and quality of care being delivered is safe, with the team in place to continue to address any ongoing concerns as the move to a single site progresses over the coming months

Even with the immediate and ongoing actions to address the urgent issues detailed by the MWC report, the Tayside NHS Board Medical Director and Executive Nurse Director have stated that the Strathmartine unit environment does not, and will not, be able to create a therapeutic environment for patients in a sustainable way going forward. Their professional, clinical view, which was presented to the Tayside NHS Board and the three Integration Joint Boards in Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross in August, concluded that the move to a single site for inpatient learning disability services in Tayside needs to happen sooner than planned.

Although today’s report highlighted the constraints of the accommodation and issues with the fabric of the building, the MWC visit identified real strengths and praised frontline staff describing them as “dedicated and knowledgeable about the individuals in their care” and that they were “fully committed to contributing to the wellbeing and improving the quality of life to those in their care”.

The MWC set out 13 recommendations in its report which are currently being addressed through an action plan which the MWC will continue to follow up.

Responding to today’s report, Medical Director Dr James Cotton said, “The findings of today’s report are simply not acceptable to any of us who deliver learning disability care and services in Tayside, and they are not acceptable for our patients, families or our staff. We’re very sorry that the Strathmartine units are not providing the kind of therapeutic accommodation that our patients need and we have already been in contact with those who will be impacted by the move to Murray Royal.

“We have responded to the immediate issues raised by the MWC over the past few months at Strathmartine, but we know that the inpatient units at the centre are no longer sustainable into the future. We presented the clinical view that the move to a single site for all Tayside LD inpatients required to advance more quickly to Board members in NHS Tayside and the three IJBs in Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross and that is now what our teams are progressing.

“We know the transition to the new accommodation may be unsettling for patients and staff but there is better available accommodation within our modern mental health estate and therefore we must use that to improve the inpatient environment.

“Some of our inpatients are awaiting community accommodation and therefore we are working very closely with our Health and Social Care Partnerships so individuals and their families have a plan to move on to accommodation and living environments which are much better suited to their specific needs.”

Nicky Connor, Chief Executive for NHS Tayside said, “The report has set out significant issues with the property and this has led us to make the operational decision to expedite a move for LD inpatients to the Murray Royal site. Our commitment is to make sure we work with our patient and their families to get the most positive outcomes for all those in our care.

“It’s essential that we note that the report praised staff at Strathmartine. This is important, deserved recognition for our workforce who are supporting vulnerable people of all ages every day. Collectively we are committed to listening to their views so we can progress with our plans together and supporting them to deliver high quality services for the people of Tayside.”

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138