By Claire Warrender

NHS FIFE is to spend almost £400,000 on improving conditions in three hospital wards following stinging criticism from an independent watchdog.

Officers from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland described the wards at Stratheden Hospital as being in a dire state of neglect and threatened to report their concerns to the Scottish Government unless improvements were made.

The comments centred on Radernie, Bayview and Edenview wards, which care for elderly people with a mental illness, and follow a routine annual visit in February.

The health board has issued a robust response to the MWCS report, stating that some repair work was already under way before the visit and other improvements are planned.

But questions have been asked as to why the wards were allowed to deteriorate into such a state in the first place.

The commission found that while staff were enthusiastic and committed to the care of patients, the quality and standard of toilet, bath and wash facilities were not appropriate.

Twenty often doubly-incontinent patients had to share just one bath and one shower, and the bath in Bayview ward was deemed unsafe, leaving only one useable shower.

The MWCS said toilets had open drains with only a grating covering them and in most areas paint was chipped, peeling and dingy.

It was also discovered that while urgent maintenance work had been done, it had not been finished properly and holes in the wall had been boarded over and not painted.

In addition, a garden area for the wards was inaccessible as it was covered in moss and therefore unsafe.

Overall, it was decided that none of the three wards had a dementia-friendly environment.

NHS Fife has admitted that the MWC had raised concerns about the condition of some areas of the wards at previous annual visits but while improvement proposals were prepared they did not win funding from the board because of other priorities.

Bob McLean, general manager for mental health services, said the latest criticism was confirmed in a follow-up letter to NHS Fife’s chief executive and an action plan outlining proposals and a timescale was requested.

That was done but some of the commission’s concerns remained and were pointed out directly to the board’s senior management during another visit in May.

Fife health campaigner Andrew Rodger, a member of Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth Community Health Partnership, said he was shocked that patients had been staying in such conditions.

Mr Rodger said, “Why should the Mental Health Commission have to come in and tell the chief executive of NHS Fife how to run his service?

“Okay, there is funding in place to get things done now but what about the patients who have had to put up with these conditions?

“Would management put up with these conditions in their own offices? No they wouldn’t, but they’re expecting patients to put up with it.”

Under the Right For Fife agreement the mental health wards at Whyteman’s Brae, Kirkcaldy, will close next year and patients will move to Dunfermline and a new Stratheden unit.

Despite assertions from NHS Fife that the unit at the Springfield hospital will be of the highest quality, Mr Rodger expressed concern.

“I want reassurances for the patients from my area that facilities up there will be first class and won’t be in the state these elderly people have had to put up with,” he said.

A spokesman for NHS Fife said last night, “Senior management staff and clinicians from NHS Fife met with members of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland following their visit to Stratheden Hospital earlier this year.

“We have implemented a £400,000 upgrade project within the units concerned and rectification work is presently under way.

“We did point out several discrepancies within the MWCS report, in that the drains mentioned in the February 11 document were in fact not toilet drains.

“These were sluice floor gullies designed to remove excess water from the floor post cleaning operations. However, they have since been removed and the floor covering updated.”

He added, “The second item relates to the urgent maintenance work. When the site visit took place this was very much work in progress. Repair work had commenced and we were in the process of carrying out painting and decorating. This has since been accepted by the MWCS.

“In addition to this remedial work, on July 21 construction of a new £4 million ward for elderly people with dementia commenced at Stratheden Hospital.

“The 18-bed unit, which is due for completion in May 2009, will provide the highest quality and modern facilities…

“Each patient in the new ward will benefit from a single bedroom with en-suite toilet and shower, and access to a safe and secure garden area.

“Clinical staff have been heavily involved with the architects in the design of the ward, and have consulted with the Dementia Research Centre at the University of Stirling concerning best practice for this client group.”

The initial tendering process and contract preparation has just begun for the second phase of the project, which will see construction of a 24-bed admission ward for the elderly mentally ill.