Independent Review into the Delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services: Scottish Government response

Theme Two: Women's Pathways - Recommendations 3 & 4

Recommendation 3. A high secure service for women should be opened in the State Hospital within nine months of the publication of this Review.

Recommendation 4. The Short Life Working Group set up in response to the Forensic Network's report on the Women's Service and Pathways should reform to complete its work related to women's pathways across medium secure, low secure and community forensic settings.

The Scottish Government agrees that high secure mental health care provision for women is needed in Scotland. However, the timescale proposed is unrealistic for the establishment of a safe, person centred service. We will support the creation of a ward within the State Hospital as an interim solution and we will continue to work with the State Hospital Board and its management team to develop this resource in a way that will support longer-term provision and improvement across women's forensic mental health services aligned to the response to recommendation 4.

The Forensic Mental Health Managed Care Network (Forensic Network) is making arrangements for the Short Life Working Group to reform. The Scottish Government considers that the remit of the group should continue to include national, regional and local planning for services for women. Planning for a long term solution for high secure provision in collaboration with the interim service at the State Hospital will be an important part of improving women's pathways in forensic mental health services.