Issue - meetings

By Councillor Doggart – Edinburgh Integration Joint Board

“Council:

1)         Notes the publication of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) report entitled “Authority to Discharge”;

2)         Welcomes the publication of recommendations as areas of improvement;

3)         Is concerned that the report notes that within the sample of cases provided, the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) is described as having acted without legal authority;

4)         Notes the initial briefing provided by officers to elected members setting out the initial work to be undertaken by the EHSCP;

5)         Recognises that more work is required to have a full understanding of any problems in respect of discharges at the start of the pandemic, but also recognises that the recommendations of the MWCS are valid in respect of all discharges at any time;

6)         Requests a report in two cycles to the Policy and Sustainability Committee that includes a summary of the authority to discharge for all patients since the start of the pandemic, confirmation that all relevant EHSCP staff have received training in respect of current policies and procedures, including specific detail surrounding the legality of Power of Attorney and its role in decision making, and a timeframe for implementation of the MWCS recommendations.”