Neuropsychiatry in Scotland: Uncovering hidden gems

Revitalising neuropsychiatry in Scotland

Those working in Scotland know that compared with the rest of the UK, Scottish neuropsychiatry is something of a patchwork, with few highly concentrated areas of resource and expertise, and other areas where particular clinicians have established their own islands of expertise in an otherwise barren landscape. In such a landscape, trainees with an interest in neuropsychiatry work hard to find these gems and do what they can to patch together a neuropsychiatry education. The RCPsych Neuropsychiatry Faculty has set out a strategy to set a neuropsychiatry curriculum, promote equitable access to neuropsychiatry services, and to provide a high standard of educational meetings to promote clinical neurosciences relevant to psychiatry.

Find out more about the work of the RCPsych Neuropsychiatry Faculty

Achieving this in Scotland relies on establishing a strong regional neuropsychiatry network. Efforts are underway to revitalise and grow Scottish neuropsychiatry.

Conference update

Efforts began with the Scottish liaison conference in April 2024. Scottish Liaison Faculty Chair Dr Prakash Shankar kindly agreed to set aside the first half of the conference for the neuropsychiatry faculty. (Many thanks to Dr Shankar for all of his support!) Sixty delegates attended this sold-out face-to-face meeting at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow (confirming that there is plenty of demand for neuropsychiatry education across a range of specialties).

A highlight of the morning was a presentation on “Living with Huntington’s Disease” by carer Kathleen Snodgrass and Sally Woolvine, Senior HD Specialist from Scottish Huntington’s Association. Kathleen and Sally delivered a really powerful session, which got across the importance of taking a holistic approach and working as a team to get things right for patients and families. Many thanks to Kathleen, Sally, and to the Scottish Huntington’s Association.

Find out more about the important work of the Scottish Huntington’s Association

There was plenty of clinically relevant content too, with talks from consultant neurologists from the Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow: Dr Claire Gall gave an update on Young Onset Dementia, and there was a presentation on movement disorders for psychiatrists from Dr Ed Newman.

The morning ended with some lively discussion and debate. Dr Pany Petrochilos of Queen Square, Dr Rachel Thomasson of Manchester, and Dr Ben Chetcuti, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, each spoke about the nature of neuropsychiatry services in their areas, and we heard about a spectrum of possibilities: On one end a well-established well-resourced service, and on the other, a fledgling neuropsychiatry service based on good will. It was clear that the support of colleagues in acute services is essential for success. The audience shared anecdotes of “secret” neuropsychiatry clinics and individual psychiatrists doing their best to be able to provide a neuropsychiatry service for patients who need it, despite lack of funding and support. The debate on the best way to get things done in Scotland continued even after the conference!

What’s next for Scotland?

It’s clear there’s a real appetite to improve access to neuropsychiatry services (and neuropsychiatry training) across Scotland. The neuropsychiatry faculty in Scotland will soon be launching a survey to uncover hidden gems! We’ll be asking about all of the neuropsychiatry work people are doing, whether as individual clinicians, or as part of an established service. We hope that with this information, we can start to strengthen the regional neuropsychiatry network, to facilitate communication, stimulate discussion on how to improve services, and improve access to training.

Also, look out for a regular neuropsychiatry case discussion group, hopefully coming soon through the RCPsych in Scotland.

Dr Maytal Wolfe, Neuropsychiatry Faculty in Scotland