‘No care left in the system’: patients on use of locum psychiatrists in Scotland

Patients angry at getting contradictory advice, inconsistent care and facing indifference from locums, survey finds

The complaints about locum psychiatrists have a clear pattern. Patients say they routinely experience inconsistent care or get contradictory advice. Some describe an indifference that borders on box-ticking.

I had 14 locums [and] they all had different views and opinions on my care," said one respondent to a survey of 469 patients by the advocacy group Vox Scotland. The last locum did not bother to call me back. That was four months ago. I've had no contact from my mental health team since then."