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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. Referrals must be made by professionals, and self-referrals are not accepted.

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 Thomson, Dr Manju Anantharamu
  • Forensic Principal Clinical Psychologist: Dr Martha Gillespie
  • Forensic Mental Health Officer Practice Lead: Karen Walters
  • Forensic Specialist Nurses (FSN): Lyndsey Brand, Leanne Jessiman, Kerry Peters
  • Forensic Mental Health Officers (FMHO): Laura Munroe, Michelle Stokoe
  • Forensic Social Worker: Roberta McCowan
  • Forensic Mental Health Support Worker: Chelsey Main
  • Administrative support: Fiona Williamson

Useful links and resources

Mental health

See also mental health and wellbeing support organisations outside NHS Highland.

  • Adult mental health

    Community mental health teams that provide psychiatric, addiction and learning disability services are available acro...

  • Child and adolescent mental health

    The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is based on the Raigmore Hospital site in Inverness.

  • Forensic mental health

    The Highland Forensic Service is a specialist mental health service that provides assessment, treatment and risk mana...

  • Older adults mental health

    The Older Adults Mental Health (OAMH) services provide the mental health response for older adults with complex needs...

  • Perinatal and infant mental health

    Pregnancy and having a baby can be an exciting time for new parents but can also be challenging and overwhelming at t...

Last updated: 29 January 2026

Next review date: 16 February 2026

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Head Office

NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW

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