MWC to publish findings of all local visit reports on new look website

The Mental Welfare Commission has said it is publishing all of its local visit reports to NHS wards and units across Scotland. The Commission visits over 100 wards and units a year for people with mental ill health, learning disability and dementia. A quarter of those visits are unannounced.

The first seven reports are published in a new local visit reports section of the Commission’s website. They are –

• Aberdeen – unannounced visit to the Forensic Acute and Rehabilitation wards, Royal Cornhill Hospital
• Airdrie – unannounced visit to Ward 24, Monklands District General Hospital
• Bonnyrigg – announced visit to Glenlee Ward, Midlothian Community Hospital
• Dunfermline – announced visit to Leverndale and Daleview, Lynebank Hospital
• Edinburgh – announced visit to Hermitage Ward, Royal Edinburgh Hospital
• Glasgow – unannounced visit to Banff Ward, Leverndale Hospital
• Glasgow – announced visit to Rowanbank Clinic.

On the visits, Commission staff talk to patients and their families and staff, checking that patients are receiving appropriate care and treatment in a suitable environment. A report of each visit is sent to the service, outlining recommendations for change when the Commission believes this is necessary.

Last year these visits resulted in over 400 recommendations for improvement being made to services.

Alison Thomson, Executive Director (Nursing) at the Commission said: “‘While we publish many national reports on care and treatment, from today we are also publishing all of our local visit reports from across the country.

‘A critical part of our work has always been our role in visiting people who are receiving care and treatment locally. We ask patients what they think, and we look at their care plans and the environment in which they are treated. If we see a need for improvement, we highlight that in our reports.

 ‘We hope that the publication of all of these reports will be useful for services themselves, and for patients and their families.’

The Commission will publish local visit reports once a month, as they are completed.

The Commission’s website has been re-designed to make it more accessible, and to add new sections for these reports, and for a forthcoming project on advance statements.