Agenda item

To inform the Scrutiny Committee of local Mental Health Services and activity undertaken within the area to allow a thematic discussion to take place on the topic.

Ms Lisa Moorhouse, Network Director, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust (LCFT), Mr Steve Winterson, Engagement Director, LCFT, Mrs Pat Oliver, Director of Operations, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust, Ms Helen Lammond-Smith, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Mrs Claire Powell, Healthwatch were in attendance for the thematic discussion on mental health in Blackpool. The report was presented as read and contained information regarding key challenges, priorities and the service user’s perspective of mental health services.

Members noted the complexity of mental health services in Blackpool and the number of different services and providers in operation and queried how a joined up approach was provided to patients. Ms Lammond-Smith advised the Committee that an Alliance Board had been established of senior representatives from the providers and the CCG to discuss key issues on a regular basis. Ms Moorhouse added that alternative approaches had also been trialled to ensure joined up provision including employing the same manager across two different organisations to create a better pathway for patients.

The Committee discussed the waiting times for patients to access Psychological Therapies, provided by the Hospitals Trust and commissioned by Blackpool CCG. Ms Lammond-Smith advised that waiting times had been up to 10 months and that an initiative had been put in place to reduce waiting times, which had had a significant impact. She added that the Hospitals Trust was on target to achieve the national targets for waiting times for Psychological Therapies by the end of March 2016. The Committee requested an update on waiting times in approximately six months.

Members raised concerns regarding the recent national news story of the failure to investigate deaths by Southern Health and also discussed concerns relating to some of the comments made in response to the survey undertaken by Healthwatch Blackpool. The Committee in particular was concerned with service provision around patients recently discharged from mental health services and cited comments in the Healthwatch report pertaining to feelings of isolation.

Mrs Powell advised that there did appear to be a gap in service provision for patients who had been discharged and that service users had set up their own support group to fill the gap. She added that there was concern that no funding had been provided for the support group and that it may not be sustainable.

In response to further questions, Mr Winterson advised that LCFT would be undertaking an additional piece of work with Healthwatch Blackpool in order to interpret the survey presented to Members further and to obtain additional narrative from patients. It was requested that that additional piece of work be submitted to the Committee for consideration in due course.

The Committee noted that Blackpool had the fifth highest rate for all mental health conditions in the country and queried what preventative measures were being put in place to impact upon the challenge that caused. It was noted that a full response to the question would be requested from Public Health following the meeting. Additionally, Ms Lammond-Smith advised that the CCG was working with the Council in order to provide therapy alongside employment support and was also considering Department of Health guidance that patients suffering with long term conditions such as diabetes were more at risk of suffering from mental health issues and the additional provision that could be put in place to target the patients concerned.

In response to a question the Committee was advised by Ms Lammond-Smith that waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) were currently two to three weeks. She added that although CAMHS provided care up to 16 years, should a young person be almost 16 prior to referral then the young person might be referred into adult services. Additionally, if a young person was over 16 but was receiving ongoing treatment from CAMHS that person would continue to receive treatment from CAMHS and would not be transferred, unless appropriate to do so. In response to a further question, Ms Lammond-Smith advised that there had been CAMHS interaction with the HeadStart bid and how to measure the impact of the bid was currently being considered.

Members queried the priorities in relation to mental health services in particular regard to the work being undertaken to reduce the impact of patients transferred to Accident and Emergency from The Harbour. Mrs Oliver advised that further work was being undertaken to understand the physical needs of mental health patients in order to prevent a need to attend Accident and Emergency. Currently an average of two patients per day were transferred from The Harbour by ambulance. She added that links to out of hours service provision and medical skills of staff at The Harbour were being considered in order to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.

In response to further questions, Mrs Oliver advised that all A and E staff were trained regarding mental health issues, but all were not Mental Health Act trained meaning that not all staff could undertake mental health assessments. Ms Lammond-Smith advised that the first of two 15 bedded Assessment Wards in East Lancashire would open in January 2016 and the second by the end of March 2016.

The Committee discussed risk assessments and noted that initial assessments were undertaken by the relevant Trust and signed off by the Care Quality Commission. Ms Moorhouse added that ongoing risk assessments of buildings would be undertaken by the Estates Team, whilst ongoing risk assessments of patients would be undertaken by the most relevant clinician. She added that all staff required to undertake risk assessments would have been appropriately trained to do so.

The Committee agreed:

1.             To receive an update on the progress to meet the national waiting list target for Psychiatric Therapies in approximately six months.

2.             To receive the results of the additional piece of work regarding feedback from service users from Healthwatch Blackpool and LCFT in due course.

3.             To seek a response to the questions regarding preventative work from Public Health following the meeting.