Locum psychiatrists providing poor care in Scotland, campaigners say

Peter Todd made a series of freedom of information requests to uncover details of mental health provision in Scotland. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

Mental health campaigners have protested about the significant use of temporary locum psychiatrists in Scotland, alleging that it leads to substandard and harmful medical care.

Peter Todd, a campaigner based in Caithness in the north of Scotland, said the heavy reliance on locum psychiatrists by the NHS was a sign of a growing crisis in mental health services across the country.