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Scottish survey of learning disability psychiatrists

West of Scotland Higher Training Scheme

Sally-Ann Cooper, Professor of Learning Disabilities

Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow, Academic Centre, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0XH

Susan Miller, Consultant Psychiatrist

Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Primary Care NHS Trust

Pauline Robertson, Consultant Psychiatrist

Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust

Neill Simpson, Consultant Psychiatrist

Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust

Declaration of interest

None.

See editorial, pp. 283-284, this issue and pp. 299-301.

AIMS AND METHOD

A survey was undertaken to determine the working arrangements of learning disability psychiatrists in Scotland. A questionnaire was sent to each of the 15 NHS providers of learning disabilities services in Scotland. Results were converted to the equivalent of whole time equivalent (WTE) consultant.

RESULTS

The results showed a wide range in the level of psychiatric staffing throughout services. The median consultant learning disability psychiatrist in Scotland covers a catchment population of 160 000 and works with 0.65 WTE non-consultant career-grade psychiatrists and 0.68 WTE training-grade psychiatrists. They are responsible for a median of 3.7 assessment and treatment beds, no rehabilitation beds, no day hospital places, 23 long-stay beds, 0.6 respite beds and 0.7 forensic beds. At the time of the survey, 15.6% of consultant posts were vacant.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Service provision appears to be variable across Scotland. The implications of this may warrant closer scrutiny.

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