Safety upgrades at an Aberdeen hospital have dramatically cut the number of police call-outs for missing or absconded patients.
In 2018-19, officers were sent to Royal Cornhill Hospital for this reason a total of 257 times.
It sparked calls for a review of security measures to ensure vulnerable individuals were kept safe while they received the care and support they needed.
And new figures from Police Scotland, obtained via freedom of information legislation, suggest this work has already begun paying off.
Lower number ‘reflects’ work
Over the course of 2020-21, and amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of call-outs for missing patients at Cornhill plummeted to 58.
This marked a decrease of almost 80% in just two years.
Emergency calls for disturbances, assaults and general police assistance were also less common.
NHS Grampian has attributed the drop to increased security measures, plus “considerably fewer” people on-site due to coronavirus restrictions.
Throughout the year a total of 456 calls to police were made from the hospital – down on the 610 and 644 recorded over the previous two years.
Investment call
North-east Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said NHS Grampian and staff must be “credited” for the safety improvements.
He added: “According to these figures, this was keeping patients safe even before the pandemic.
“And that will give families peace of mind.
“Fewer callouts for police also means more time for their other duties on the front line – time that’s been much needed during Covid.”
Meanwhile north-east Green MSP Maggie Chapman has called for more investment in mental health services, and warned a balance must be struck.
“Patient safety and wellbeing must be our top priority,” she said.
“I commend the police for their work, but increased security isn’t the whole answer especially if that means residents not getting access to visitors, activities, and services that they may need.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “The reduced number of police call-outs, following patients absconding from Royal Cornhill Hospital, reflects the increased security measures in place onsite in light of the pandemic.
“We also had considerably fewer people accessing the site, again as a result of the pandemic, and those who did come in or out, left via one controlled access point.”
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