Good mental health is key to living well and keeping healthy and is something matters to all of us.

Ensuring there is access to the right level of care and treatment for mental health problems, which meets the needs of our communities, has been and continues to be a priority in Fife.

Following the review of Fife’s Mental Health Strategy, the focus of care is changing. Working with our partners and with individuals at the centre of decisions, more care and services will be delivered closer to home and with an increased level of choice based on what is important to the individual.

As well as delivering services differently there is also a need to improve our adult mental health in-patient facilities ensuring that environments meet the needs of patients to enable therapeutic intervention and support speedier recovery.

Over the coming weeks and months, NHS Fife and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership will be engaging with people who use and have used mental health in-patient services in the past, their families and staff about what is important to them and how we can improve on our current facilities.

A number of workshops will be held with service users, their families, staff and other interested parties in February 2022. Feedback from these discussions will help to develop options for consideration with the wider public.

Dr Chris McKenna, NHS Fife Medical Director, said: “Meeting the mental health needs of local people is a key focus in Fife.

“We want to deliver care to patients as close to home as possible, and where people require the support of an in-patient stay, ensure that the environment enables their recovery.

“Engaging with our staff and individuals who use the service and their families, along with wider public engagement will help to inform how we develop in-patient services to ensure they meet the needs of our communities now and in the future.”

Nicky Connor, Director of Fife Health & Social Care Partnership added:

“It is so important to ensure we have the mental health services that support Fifers to stay well and live healthy lives. Having the right services, in the right place and in-patient services that meet the needs of those who need hospital care is key to improving this support.”