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Forensic mental health

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The Highland Forensic Service is a specialist mental health service that provides assessment, treatment and risk management of adults with a mental disorder and who pose a risk of violence and/or offending.

Highland Forensic Service is an NHS and Highland Council integrated multi-disciplinary team.

Important: Contacts

The Highland Forensic Service is based at New Craigs Hospital in Inverness.

phone 01463 704 682
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

All referrals to the Highland Forensic Service should be sent to:

email nhsh.highlandforensicservice@nhs.scot 

About Highland Forensic Service

The team adopts a collaborative and person-centred approach to providing assessment, rehabilitation and management for adults who are considered to be at a high risk of harming others as a result of their mental disorder.

In addition to a community forensic caseload, the team provides forensic liaison services such as mental health assessment in police custody and HMP Inverness in addition to care and treatment for forensic inpatients.

“Forensic Mental Health services specialise in the assessment, treatment and risk management of people with a mental disorder who are currently undergoing, or have previously undergone, legal or court proceedings. Some other people are managed by forensic mental health services because they are deemed to be at a high risk of harming others, or rarely, themselves under civil legislation.”
Scottish Government

Referrals

All referrals to the Highland Forensic Service (HFS) should be sent to the email address. Referrals will be discussed at the weekly team meeting.

Referral criteria

  • Patients are generally between the ages of 18 and 65. Any patient out with that range will be considered on a needs-led and patient-centred approach.
  • Patients must be experiencing a treatable mental disorder.
  • Patients are currently undergoing, or have previously undergone legal or court proceedings.
  • Patients must be considered to present a risk of significant harm to the safety of others, or a risk of serious harm. Serious harm is a legal term which considers the nature and antecedents associated with high tariff offending behaviour. It is difficult to provide a definitive list of behaviours, but this would include acts of serious violence or sexual violence.
  • There should appear to be a clear link/correlation between the treatable mental disorder and the risk of harm to others.
  • Patients must be liable to detention under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Informal patients are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be accepted onto caseload if they are particularly complex with significant risk issues.
  • Patients with a sole diagnosis of personality disorder will not normally be accepted by the HFS. The admission of such patients to the HFS caseload will therefore only be on an exceptional basis.

The patient should be transferred back to the referring service when discharge criteria are met.

Making a referral

Before completing the referral, please ensure that the following criteria are met.

  • Patient is aged between 18 and 65. (Please discuss with team if out with that range.)
  • Patient has a primary diagnosis of mental illness.
  • Patients are currently undergoing, or has previously undergone, legal or court proceedings and/or is currently presenting a significant risk to the safety of others, or a risk of serious harm to others.
  • There appears to be a clear link/correlation between the mental disorder and the risk of harm to others.
  • Patient is liable to detention or being considered for detention under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Clinical team

  • Team Lead: Marie Bain
  • Forensic Consultant Psychiatrists: Dr Nikki Thompson, Dr Manju Anantharamu
  • Forensic Principal Clinical Psychologist: Dr Martha Gillespie
  • Forensic Mental Health Officer Practice Leads: Euan Williamson, Karen Walters
  • Forensic Specialist Nurses (FSN): Lyndsey Brand, Leanne Jessiman, Fiona Taylor, Kerry Peters
  • Forensic Mental Health Officers (FMHO): Laura Munroe, Antony Lopez
  • Forensic Social Worker: Roberta McCowan
  • Forensic Mental Health Support Worker: Chelsey Main
  • Assistant Psychologist: James Sneddon
  • Administrative support: Alison MacKintosh

Useful links and resources

Related mental health pages

Important: Highland Mental Wellbeing

Highland Mental Wellbeing is a list of both local and national services, information and training around the subject of mental health and wellbeing. It can be confusing to know where to start with online information, so it aims to help by highlighting some of the best websites and sources of help. It also provides information about training and resources for community/service volunteers or paid staff, in a 'helping' or supporting role.

Highland Mental Wellbeing

Important: Mental health information at NHS inform

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NHS inform provides a wealth of information on identifying, treating and managing mental health problems and disorders.

In-person services and locations

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Last updated: 17 January 2025

Next review date: 24 January 2025

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Head Office

NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW

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