Kerry Ann Finnigan

Recommendation One: All patients admitted to a psychiatric ward within NHS Lanarkshire should be reviewed by a senior clinician within at least 24 hours of admission, a policy, which has been seen to work successfully in other NHS areas such as NHS Grampian. Such a policy would ensure that admitted patients to hospital would have a senior review within 24 hours, thereby enabling a senior clinician to formulate clear plans for that person which can then be followed until a RMO comes on the ward. Recommendation Two: All Goelst G-Rail 4100 Load Release System Curtain Rails that are currently in operation within NHS Scotland should be replaced with alternative models. Recommendation Three: A review of the Clinical Observation and Engagement Policy and Guidelines for Best Practice for use by the NHS Lanarkshire Mental Health and Learning Disability Service should take place within NHS Lanarkshire. Given that all hospitals have at least the potential to deal with patients experiencing mental health difficulties, the aforementioned Policy should apply across all of the facilities and not just in a mental health setting. Recommendation Four: A review should be undertaken in respect of the PLNS's role in transferring patients from acute medical ward to psychiatric wards within NHS Lanarkshire, and in relation to the role and interface of the PLNS and Liaison Psychiatry in general within acute psychiatric inpatient services. Recommendation Five: The role of the duty AMP Service within Wishaw Hospital and within NHS Lanarkshire in general should be reviewed, and consideration given to extending its current extremely limited role in relation to seeing patients and placing them on STDCs if appropriate.