Ward 4, the mental health ward at Dr Grays in Elgin, will be experiencing some changes as part of upgrading works in the coming months. As Moray’s social movement around mental health, Moray Wellbeing Hub are keen to ensure community members feel updated and informed. Additionally, we wish to provide a clear pathway to both share views and get involved in shaping services for the future.
Health & Safety Executive (HSE), a national body that ensures that services are high quality for those who use them, have requested that ward 4 have improvements around safety. Combined with the need for work to be carried out for the new MRI scanner to be installed at Dr Grays, this means that there is a need for a change in the service the staff can support around mental health.
We appreciate the challenges that Health & Social Care Moray and NHS Grampian have in addressing all the requirements for this work. However, we are keen to see the change used as an opportunity for more community-based support to become permanent for those needing a higher level of support that traditionally may have required a hospital stay. As such we will be working to connect with the services around the issue and use our lived and living experiences to influence the best outcomes for Moray.
If you have any feedback on these plans or are keen to get involved in reshaping services for mental health in Moray, we would be keen to hear from you. Just contact us via our website.
Current plans, early 2023 timescale to be confirmed:
The current plan, as we understand it, is for a continuation of support with a reduced number of beds in Moray to ensure safety and dignity for those accessing the space whilst building work is done. Those who need a higher level of acute support will need to access beds at Royal Cornhill Hospital. This is not ideal for individuals or their loved ones, however, we can understand this is also about safety and level of care at a time of highest need. The aim would be to return them to Moray for support as this need decreases. Having heard from our Champions, members of the social movement, we are aware that many staff will also share our views on this and be keen to welcome patients back locally as soon as it is clinically safe to do so.
Our intention is to be involved where possible to work with Health & Social Care Moray around this change and future development. We also wish to assure the community that we will do so as a voice of experience in developing the best approach for recovery in Moray and support progress as a critical friend.
Here is an excerpt of the statement from Teresa Green, Interim Mental Health Services Manager, on the upcoming work. We have removed sections that were more clinical in language, instead explaining the same information above in more accessible terms, but we are happy to provide the full statement on request.
I am keen to update you all in relation to ligature compliance / MRI plans at Dr Grays Hospital. … Undertaking the ligature compliance works is essential, not only from a safety perspective; it will also address the privacy, dignity and comfort concerns that are an issue within Ward 4. The local MRI scanner is also essential as this will ensure a local pathway for approximately 2500 people per year.
The desire to find a local solution that would be of minimum disruption to patients, their loved ones and staff was always the preferable option but we have been unable to identify a local decant option for all inpatients. We realise we need to urgently develop a hybrid model of care; the aim being to ensure that every person from Moray can continue to receive local mental health care where safe to do so.
To support this, We are now scoping out the requirements for a Moray short term assessment / decision making unit / place of safety provisions and local step-down facilities for inpatient care…. It is anticipated that Royal Cornhill Hospital will provide inpatient beds for a small number of patients in the acute phase with the aim of people returning to Moray as soon as clinically safe to do so. We want to ensure that we develop local plans alongside our staff, local lived experience, and staff side representation.
As we progress with planning I will be seeking to provide regular progress updates.
Best wishes
Teresa Green
Interim Integrated Service Manager
