Councillors and committees

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URGENT CARE IN SURREY HEARTLANDS

Meeting: 15/10/2020 - Adults and Health Select Committee (Item 35)

35 REPORT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH TASK GROUP pdf icon PDF 320 KB

Purpose of the report: The Select Committee will be provided with a detailed report on the findings and recommendations of the Mental Health Task Group.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Witnesses:

Olive Aherne, Area Manager, Richmond Fellowship

Karl Atreides, Chair, Independent Mental Health Network

Janice Clark, Governor, Surrey and Borders Partnership

Nick Darby, Chairman of the Mental Health Task Group

Nick Markwick, Co-Chair, Surrey Coalition of Disabled People

Sinead Mooney, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health

Professor Helen Rostill, Director of Mental Health, Surrey Heartlands

Kate Scribbins, Chief Executive, Healthwatch Surrey

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

Ernest Mallett joined the meeting at 10:36am.

 

1.    The Chairman of the Mental Health Task Group introduced the report, highlighting issues in the mental health patient journey that were raised multiple times over the course of the Task Group’s work, namely:

a.    There were often problems involved in the transition from children’s to adults’ mental health services;

b.    ‘Falling between two stools’ – the phenomenon of patient not meeting criteria for a particular treatment and therefore being bounced back and forth between services;

c.    The development of the GP Integrated Mental Health Service (GPIMHS) was deemed very encouraging;

d.    Contracts with charity sector organisations tended to be only about three years long – the Task Group recommended that this be extended;

e.    The Task Group recommended that longer opening hours of Safe Havens be considered;

f.     Data protection rules meant that sharing patient information was difficult;

g.    Incompatibility of IT systems meant that patients had to repeat their stories multiple times;

h.    Training was important to foster greater understanding of mental health issues;

i.      There had been delays in making improvements to the Abraham Cowley Unit of St Peter’s Hospital.

2.    A Member emphasised that mental health problems could start as early as pre-school age, so it was important that the transition from children’s to adults’ services took this into account.

3.    A Member asked whether ligature points had now been eradicated in the Abraham Cowley Unit. The Surrey and Borders Partnership (SABP) Director of Mental Health responded that the ward where ligature points had been identified had now been closed and patients were being cared for in other facilities. The ligature risk had been assessed on all wards and work was underway to fit Primera safe hinges, which had a sensor function to prevent ligature from occurring.

4.    A Member enquired whether steps were being taken to provide out of hours service at Safe Havens. The Director of Mental Health stated that SABP was in the process of looking at providing 24/7 Safe Haven provision in partnership with NHS England. Moreover, the mental health liaison services and home treatment teams already provided 24/7 service.

5.    A Member requested that the Select Committee be sent a diagram showing pathways for patients through the mental health system in Surrey.

6.    A Member emphasised that all transitions should be considered, not only the transition from children’s to adults’ mental health services, as there were often weaknesses involved in transition from one service to another.

7.    The Task Group assured the Select Committee that this report would be shared with a wide audience: it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35