« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Recommendation for inclusion in Delivering for Mental Health
We believe that changes in acute inpatient care can be maximised by the creation of Acute Inpatient Forums. An inpatient profile should be developed for each NHSCHP/Board area which has acute psychiatric beds. A profile for each CHP/ NHS Board might reasonably be expected to include the allocation of resources, use and practice in each ward including:
- Demographic and clinical information on inpatient service users;
- Availability and use of community treatment;
- Application of the Mental Health Act;
- Data on admissions, re-admissions and length of stay;
- Availability, allocation and supervision of staff;
- Service user/carer involvement;
- Consultant involvement;
- Aspects of the ward environment and activities within the ward;
- Communication and coordination of services across agencies;
- Staff training; and
- Staff Activity.
It is crucial that an appropriate framework is put in place to deliver and report upon progress against objectives contained within the Delivering for Mental Health.
In keeping with the delegated authority and responsibility of the AIF each should undertake to identify a Chair and ensure that the Chief Executive of each NHS Board is aware of and involved in the mechanics of making the Forums work. Focus should include the following:
- Effective multi-agency commitment to the delivery of the overarching objectives;
- A local action plan reflecting strengths, gaps, needs and priorities within the local service framework;
- Clear deliverable targets and measures to monitor and report on progress;
- Clear plan to maximise the input of people's experiences of living and those working on acute wards;
- Promote and enable cross boundary working;
- Collect and collate performance information and data;
- Ensure action plans and priorities are reflected in the local NHS, CHP and Local Authority planning structures; and
- Improve and address quality and performance issues.
Acute Inpatient Forums ( AIFs) will be charged with the responsibility, authority and accountability to develop, deliver, evaluate and report upon local progress against the overarching issues raised in this report. AIFs will prioritise their actions to reflect local needs and circumstances recognising the variance in performance across the NHS Board areas. There should be an Acute Inpatient Forum for each NHS Board area.
Each NHS Board needs to agree the mechanism for frequency of meetings and how the minutes of meetings and other material will be communicated across services and at the same time to partner agencies. The financial cost of running and servicing meetings and agreed actions will be met from NHS Board resources.
The mechanism for feeding back on the activity of the Forums will be through an enhanced performance management structure. AIF action will be monitored through an enhanced performance management system to be in place by March 2007 and there will be an opportunity for dialogue with SEHD colleagues through a rolling visiting programme. These arrangements will build on existing visiting, monitoring and other processes and will be designed to engender a positive experience for all concerned in advancing the Delivering for Mental Health targets and commitments.
« Previous | Contents | Next »