Minister apologies to family of suicide victim turned away by psychiatric unit

Scotland's Mental Health Minister has apologised to the family of a man who killed himself after being turned away from a psychiatric unit when he asked for help.

David Ramsay, 50, committed suicide in 2010, four days after he was twice rejected for treatment at the Carseview Centre at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital.

An inquiry has been announced into the care there after Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard highlighted the case at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood.

Mr Ramsay's family have been campaigning for a public inquiry into services in NHS Tayside since his death.

His niece, Gillian Murray, wrote to the Scottish Government on the matter in July 2017, and again in February and March this year.

Mental Health Minister Maureen Watt penned a reply to her in April, but the Scottish Government has now confirmed the family never received this because an email address was mistyped.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ''Ms Watt has today written Ms Murray to offer her sincerest apology over this matter and for the upset Ms Murray and the other members of David Ramsay's family have felt as a result.''

Ms Murray has now been offered a meeting with Health Secretary Shona Robison or First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The spokesman said: ''In the letter, Ms Watt sets out that the new chair of NHS Tayside, John Brown CBE, will be commissioning an independent inquiry into mental health services delivered at the Carseview Centre in Dundee.

Ms Watt outlined that the chair of NHS Tayside wanted this inquiry to be an opportunity to capture the concerns of the patients and families, including those of Ms Murray and her family, who have used, or felt let down by, the services.''

He added: ''Ms Watt has invited Ms Murray to meet with her, Health Secretary Shona Robison, or the First Minister, at a time and date of Ms Murray's convenience.''

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary has welcomed the independent inquiry that is to be carried out in mental health services at the Carseview unit.

Ms Robison said: ''People who need mental health services, and their families, should have full confidence that they will receive the highest standards of care when they or their loved ones are in a very vulnerable condition.

I hope that this inquiry will show that not only are these concerns being listened to, but also that the recommendations of the recent Health Improvement Scotland and Mental Welfare Commission inspection reports are being implemented.''