MORE than 1,000 mental health patients have been sent out-with their health board area for treatment in the past three years, according to new figures.
A freedom of information request from the Scottish Conservatives revealed some patients were sent to England for care between 2014/15 and 2016/17.
The research found one person from Glasgow was asked to travel 480 miles to Tavistock in Devon and to parts of London for treatment.
In total, 1,007 mental health patients suffering from conditions such as eating disorders, severe depression and learning disabilities were asked to travel “out of area”, the equivalent of 17 a week.
Highland was the health board with the largest number of transfers at 295, followed by NHS Fife at 229.
Tory mental health spokeswoman Annie Wells said: “There will always be cases when it’s in the patient’s best interests to be sent elsewhere for treatment.
“But the scale of these figures suggests some health boards in Scotland just aren’t equipped to deal with a range of conditions.
“All sides of the political debate in Scotland agree that mental health should have a parity of esteem with physical health.
“But if that’s to be the case, people need to be able to rely on their own health board for treatment.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe