NHS Tayside’s mental health services still face significant issues

Long-standing challenges across NHS Tayside’s mental health services remain, despite some progress, with a lack of clarity and complex governance impeding the changes needed.

Following a highly critical independent inquiry into the services, published in 2020, the health board set up a Whole System Change Programme (WSCP) in 2023 to deliver the changes needed.

Governance and leadership arrangements for the WSCP are complicated, unclear and not working well. Progress of the WSCP is not being reported transparently enough to enable good scrutiny and oversight.

There remains a lack of clarity about the purpose, roles and responsibilities of the groups involved in delivering improvements across NHS Tayside’s mental health services.

The WSCP has reduced the scope of its activities, due to limited skills and capacity. There now needs to be clearly defined priorities for improvement with specific actions, timescales and costs identified.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland said:

Long-standing issues with the provision and delivery of mental health services across NHS Tayside remain, impacting patients, their families and staff. Efforts to address this have made some progress but haven’t yet delivered significant change.

Urgent action is needed to be clear on the priorities for improvement, with specific actions, timescales and costs detailed. It must be made clear who is responsible for delivering on this, and progress monitored and reported publicly.