Minister Hails Mental Health Service Success

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Depression
Article Date: 26 Jun 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis congratulated the NHS on major improvements in key mental health services today.

His message came as he cut the turf to mark the construction of a new mental health unit at Runwell Hospital in Wickford, Essex.

Latest figures show that, for 2007-08:

- Specialist crisis resolution home treatment teams provided 106,000 home treatments, supporting people who would otherwise have had to be admitted to hospital. In 06-07, the figure was 95,000 (11% increase).

- Early intervention teams treated 8,300 young people who experienced a first episode of psychosis. In 06-07, the figure was 6,500 (27% increase).

- Assertive outreach teams supported 19,900 people who have persistent mental health problems but are hard to engage. In 06-07, the figure was 18,300 (a rise of 9%).

The improvements mean that more patients are now receiving more effective and earlier treatments and reducing the number of hospital admissions, giving more patients the kind of care they want. Assertive outreach is also improving engagement and leading to better long-term health prospects.

Speaking at Runwell Hospital, Ivan Lewis said:

"This positive news demonstrates that frontline services are pulling together to improve the quality of care for people with mental health needs. More people who might otherwise have to be admitted to hospital can now be cared for in their own home. However, there is no room for complacency - we must maintain this momentum and improve services still further, ensuring that all areas of the country have the services they need.

"We are working closely with local providers and commissioners of these services to make sure they are delivered in the most effective way. Improving crisis resolution and early intervention services remains a priority for this year."

In-patient units are part of a modern service and work closely with the new community teams such as crisis resolution.

-- The 10-year programme for improving mental health services was published in 1999 (the National Service Framework or NSF for Mental Health). This was followed up in more detail by the NHS Plan in 2000.

The NSF signalled a major transformation of services away from the traditional hospital setting towards new community teams delivering care at home. The three new types of teams identified were:

- crisis resolution home treatment
- early intervention
- assertive outreach

-- The job of crisis resolution teams is to respond to people with severe mental illness who require emergency care, by providing assessment and treatment in the home. Previously the only option in many areas would have been to admit people in this situation to hospital, so the initiative is helping to reduce the pressure on acute inpatient units. As well as avoiding admission in many cases, teams can help support early discharge from hospital by providing home treatment post discharge.

-- An early intervention team provides support for young people (aged 14-35) affected by a first psychosis. Their services provide early and intensive support which can prevent initial problems from developing and improve longer term health outcomes.

-- Assertive outreach teams work with people who are typically harder to engage - people who use mental health services a lot and often have dual diagnosis (ie diagnosed as having problems with substance abuse as well as a serious mental illness).

-- The 2008-9 Operating Framework for the NHS was published by the Department of Health in December 07. Both crisis resolution and early intervention services were included in the Framework as existing commitments to be met in 2008-9.

-- Runwell Hospital is managed by the South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which was among the first three Mental Health Trusts to achieve foundation trust status (May 2006). The new mental health unit under construction forms part of a major redevelopment of an old Victorian facility, which will include recreational, therapeutic and administrative facilities with a combined total of 97 beds.

Department of Health (UK)
www.dh.gov.uk

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