A Perth and Kinross councillor has called for a director of mental health to be appointed to Tayside "as soon as possible".
He raised the issue following recent "very concerning" reports of a fifth tragic death on Murray Royal Hospital's Moredun ward.
The Kinross-shire councillor raised his concerns at the latest meeting of the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB).
Last month it was revealed five patients died tragically between May 2013 and January 2021 whilst under the clinical care of mental health practitioners at Perth's Murray Royal Hospital.
Beforehand only four of the deaths had been made public - something Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser called a "scandal" when he raised the matter in the Scottish Parliament.
When the IJB met virtually on Wednesday, March 30 Conservative councillor Callum Purves revealed he was unaware of the fifth death until he read about it in the newspaper.
He called for board members to be updated as soon as possible of issues that arise "to try and avert such tragedies happening in the future". He also requested an update on Tayside's mental health services be on the agenda of every meeting of the IJB.
Cllr Purves said he would be keen to see the director of mental health post filled "as soon as possible".
Currently the role is being filled on an interim basis by NHS Tayside's executive director of nursing Claire Pearce.
He said: "If it's deemed necessary to have a post like that and so important in the area of mental health, to have interim arrangements for so long is concerning to me as a board member. I'd like to see some permanent arrangements brought in as soon as possible."
The Conservative councillor added: "It would be useful at a future meeting or perhaps by email on the specific issues that have been raised around Murray Royal if perhaps we could have some more information about what steps are being taken to try and prevent such tragedies happening in the future."
IJB chairman Bob Benson also welcomed the suggestion of being updated on issues rather than hearing about them "out of the blue" in the press.
Cllr Eric Drysdale said mental health was an important area that needs to be kept "right at the forefront of our considerations going forward".
