NHS Forth Valley staff to scale Ben Nevis

The amateur climbers, consultant psychiatrist Doctor Vivek Pattan and community mental health nurses Hilary Hunter, Christopher Mulraney, Alison Aitken and Tracey Martin, will be braving Nevis together to promote and support the good work of Falkirk District Association for Mental Health (FDAMH).

Hilary said: “My brother was also a mental health nurse and sadly committed suicide in 2014. I am personally doing this in memory of him. His journey was more difficult than any hill I will ever climb.

“We have been training for this for several months and have climbed hills including Ben Cleuch and Ben Lomond. The scenery is definitely worth the effort and we have all learned lessons like not arranging social events on the same day you are climbing a Munro.

“Dr Pattan has learnt what a great team he works with and we are surprisingly all still on friendly terms.”

FDAMH is a charitable organisation which supports people aged 16 or over who have mental health problems. They offer a wide range of services and support to both the person and their families.

Hilary said: “This is an invaluable service and we are keen to show our support. We hope people support us. We all need to remember none of us are immune to difficulties with our mental health.”