Meeting of the Parliament 21 May 2014
Michael McMahon might be interested to know the view of NHS Lanarkshire on the proposed option, which it stated would enable
“the most contemporary provision of acute inpatient care in a custom designed environment as well as freeing up resources”
to be put into the community. That is the option that the cabinet secretary chose.
As part of the mental health services plan, the ward in question—ward 24—has been undergoing a refurbishment to improve the facilities for patients. That includes the removal of asbestos from ward 24 earlier this year. I emphasise that the issue of asbestos is not unique to Monklands; it is a legacy from decades ago.
Very strict regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive to control asbestos. The HSE makes clear that:
“asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed. If it is safely managed and contained, it doesn’t present a health hazard.”
That is exactly the approach that NHS Lanarkshire took.
The wellbeing of patients in Lanarkshire was at the heart of Alex Neil’s actions on the matter. It is instructive to look at what the patients themselves said about the proposed closure. A letter that was written to the Scottish Government in September 2012 when the closure proposals were being considered, from a patient who was treated for mental issues at Monklands, stated:
“We felt our voice should be recognised. The closure of these wards could cause many mentally ill patients to take our own lives”.
That heartfelt plea sat alongside the views of doctors, NHS management and others. It was by balancing all those opinions that Alex Neil made his intervention.