A Public Consultation on Western Isles Health Board’s preferred option for Mental Health Services started today with the launch of the Consultation Document.
Option Appraisal meetings took place in Lewis, Uist and Barra in January 2012, when members of the public, staff and other partners met to consider and ‘score’ three options to modernise mental health services. The highest scoring preferred option for the majority was Option 3, which would create an increase in community capacity by reducing inpatient facilities.
The Mental Health Consultation Document is available at http://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/publications/policies-and-strategies
A summary version of the document will also be made available this week.
The case for changing the configuration of Mental Health Services is based on an understanding that the way services are currently set up in the Western Isles does not allow for an effective, locally delivered approach to mental health service provision.
Modern community based services consist of teams of practitioners, including specialist nurses and doctors and support workers, who often work closely with local authority and third sector colleagues to deliver effective integrated locally based services. In our current model, such teams cannot be developed while capacity and manpower is centred in Western Isles Hospital.
Members of the public, service users, carers, staff, third sector partners, and other stakeholders are invited to take part in the consultation, and meetings are being held across the islands to ensure people are able to participate.
NHS Western Isles Medical Director Dr James Ward said: “Our aim is that high quality engagement and consultation with the public will take place over the consultation period, when we can discuss the detail of acute service configuration, community service modelling and partnership. The consultation process will also allow for any specific concerns to be considered and discussed in detail.”
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