Police have carried out more than 5,500 investigations into patients who have been reported missing from NHS facilities since 2019.
The figures were outlined in a written response from Keith Brown, the justice secretary, to Jamie Greene, the Conservative MSP.
Since 2019, 226 investigations took place that related to people under the age of 18 reported missing from NHS grounds. Police Scotland has undertaken 5,297 inquiries into adults missing from medical facilities. The figures from the Missing Persons Database cover up to October 31 last year and a person can appear multiple times within any year if they have been reported missing on more than one occasion.
A local authority breakdown of the data shows that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian accounted for more than 2,600 of the adults who were reported missing; the latter had 56 missing young people.
Greene, who is the justice spokesman for the Conservatives, said the figures gave serious cause for concern. He said that the complete figure could be much higher because the data provided only included those reported to police. He urged Brown and Humza Yousaf, the health secretary, to provide adequate resources for policing and the health sector to ensure vulnerable patients were not slipping through the cracks.
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Greene said: “These figures are deeply alarming. Relatives expect their loved ones to be safe while they are staying, or being treated in, an NHS facility. It gives serious cause for concern that over 200 investigations have had to be launched in just the last few years to determine the whereabouts of young people who went missing from NHS grounds.”
The Scottish government said: “The National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland aims to protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals and ensure that the families and loved ones left behind are supported. The framework enables multi-agency working, ensuring a consistent response is in place for vulnerable people, and 99 per cent of all missing people are returned safely.
“The mental health workforce has expanded significantly in recent years, with staffing numbers at a record high.”