Health Improvement

State Hospital patients have very significant physical health needs. Lack of exercise, obesity, consequences of a self-selected poor diet perhaps complicated by the effects of medication, all require monitoring.

Health improvement is undertaken through a range of onsite therapies and activities including a Health Centre which meets the primary healthcare needs of patients.

The State Hospital remains a smoke free environment.

Patients are provided with more information and support than ever before, and they are encouraged to become more involved in making choices about their own health and lifestyle.

Health improvement activities are taken forward by way of three key strands: mental health practice development, physical health and patient learning.

Mental Health Practice

The monitoring and driving forward of improvements in the effectiveness of overall service delivery for mental health needs is progressed as a national clinical priority.

The Forensic Mental Health Managed Care Network (Forensic Network) and regional medium secure forensic psychiatric services are well established across Scotland. The State Hospital continues to be the national resource operating in a high secure environment.

Read the Media Release to find out more

Work of the State Hospital’s Mental Health Practice Steering Group (MHPSG) group supports the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred care in the context of reviewing clinical practice within the Hospital. This includes psychological services input data, risk assessment completion, relational approaches to care, trauma informed care, intelligence emerging from stakeholder feedback and trend reports, and person centred improvement projects.

Physical Health

The State Hospital continues to recognise the importance of health improvement and disease prevention programmes that target the main causes of morbidity and premature mortality with attention to obesity and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Physical activity is an extremely important part of overall physical healthcare. The Physical Health Steering Group (PHSG) governs Food, Fluid and Nutrition Care, Weight Management, Physical Activity and Physical Health workstreams.

Patients can exercise and walk within the Hospital’s grounds if granted grounds access which is subject to a rigorous risk assessment process. Grounds access can be withdrawn for reasons such as guidelines not being followed or deterioration of a patient’s health.

Patient Learning

For State Hospital patients participation in education and learning can be an empowering and socialising process and can make a significant contribution to care, treatment and longer-term recovery and rehabilitation. Patient learning programmes are mainly delivered within a range of activity centres.