The parents of a man who took his own life fear he will become “another statistic” as they plead for improved mental health services in Tayside.
Paul Rollo, 49, was found dead at his home in Forfar last week, after a decade of battling with poor mental health.
The father of three’s relatives had been desperately seeking help after he attempted suicide in February, saying they feared the day would come again.
Parents Colin and Margaret Rollo, who live in Dundee where Paul is originally from, say they hope lessons will be learned from their son’s death.
‘We won’t be the last’
Mum Margaret said she feels let down by NHS Tayside, where her son previously worked in medical records.
“We’re not the only parents in this situation and I know we won’t be the last,” she said.
“Something has to be done, there are so many people dying unnecessarily.”
“Over the last year or so we’ve been left trying to hold this together ourselves with minimal assistance.
“Paul was struggling and was using other substances including cocaine to black out the demons.”
Parents begged for help at Carseview
Following Paul’s suicide attempt in February, the family had a meeting with mental health service staff at Carseview in June, when they told doctors they feared their son would kill himself.
Margaret said: “The last visit to Carseview was in June of this year, we spoke with a doctor and a nurse about the extent of the situation.
“Paul was needing proper psychiatric help to get to the root of his problems.
“We needed him to be given an extended stay in Carseview, it’s the only system locally we thought could help.
“I said to them ‘my son is going to kill himself’, I told this to Carseview staff many times.”
‘You’d do anything for your bairns but we just couldn’t save him’
Despite their pleas for help and attempts to support Paul themselves they couldn’t save him and he was found dead last Monday.
Margaret said: “Paul was only 49 and now he has left behind a wife and three children.
“The devastation is unbearable.
“We’re begging that Paul’s life won’t just be another statistic, there needs to be urgent reform.
“You’d do anything for your bairns but we just couldn’t save him.
“What we can do now is try and be advocates for change.”
Hope crisis centre will improve mental health support in Dundee
The parents hope the planned 24-hour mental health crisis centre, due to open in Dundee next year, will help more people get the help they need.
Margaret said: “For me I don’t want any family to have to experience what we’ve been through.
“There needs to be more intervention, more trained professionals and longer periods in care whilst being treated.
“You hope something like a crisis centre can help but it’s not open yet.
“The system at the moment is ill-equipped.
“How many more are going to be lost?”
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said staff are in contact with Paul’s family.
She said: “The community mental health team will continue to be in contact with the family and our thoughts are with them at this time.
“We are unable to comment on individual patients due to patient confidentiality.”
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