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AIS Annual Report 2013

Download the Full Report (PDF, 1.5Mb).

Forty-five referrals were received during the reporting period (26 men and 19 women); with a mean age of 45.4 years. There were 36 referrals (80%) from Scotland, and 9 referrals (20%) from England.

Forty assessments were conducted during the 2012/13 financial year. Twenty-two men and 18 women were seen, with a mean age of 44.9 years (range 18.4 – 63.1 years). Nine assessments were conducted outwith the SLA.

Approximately 30% of patients had a diagnosis of unipolar major depression, and 37.5% of patients had a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder; this is a similar diagnostic breakdown to previous years. The presence of other diagnoses reflects the complexity and comorbidity of chronic mental illness.

One Anterior Cingulotomy wasperformed during 2012/13. The service also performed implantation of Deep Brain Stimulation as part of an international research study.

There have been no deaths and no post-operative infections during the reporting year. Adverse effects are largely unchanged from previous years, and are consistent with the published literature on the procedures undertaken.

The average (±SD) waiting time (from referral to assessment) for Scottish patients was 7.5 ± 2.7 weeks. This is slightly shorter than the previous year. Ninety percent of patients were seen within 18 weeks, with documented reasons for delays for the threepatients that waited longer.

There was one formal complaint which was resolved within the NHS Tayside complaints procedure.

Patient satisfaction for outpatient assessment and inpatient admission continues to be high, with the overwhelming majority reporting positive experiences of the service.

Members of the team continue to deliver presentations at a regional, national, and international level and publish in peer-reviewed journals in fields such as: neurosurgery; ablative neurosurgery; vagus nerve stimulation; neuroimaging; and neuropsychology.

The service is research active, with a range of active research projects, some of which are part of international, multi-centre clinical trials of neuromodulation for depression. The service is also participating in a novel clinical study of deep brain stimulation for OCD which is funded by the Medical Research Council.

The service is participating in an international, multicentre, clinical trial of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for refractory depression. This will enable us to not only advance treatments in this refractory population but also to develop patient choice in this clinical area. Uniquely, in Dundee, we will have the opportunity to evaluate the outcomes for DBS alongside those for other neurosurgical therapies.

Following the deliberations and recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group that conducted the 5 year review on behalf of NSD, it has been agreedthat the activities of the AIS be formally extended within the SLA to allow inpatient treatment for OCD to be provided in Dundee for patients in NHS Scotland.This part of the service has been in place since 1 April 2013.

Neurosurgical activity in 2012/13 continues to be variable but it is recognised that clinical activity varies from one year to the next and is dependent upon the nature of the patients referred. We believe that there remain considerable numbers of patients with unmet needs and we are keen to ensure that they have the opportunity to be referred to the service.