To discuss the impact of the redesign of mental health services following the closure of Acer Ward at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
Representatives of the Mental Health Service User Network (SUN) (Ms Lois Sidney) and Hunts Mind (Ms Sarah Hughes) will be in attendance for consideration of this item.
40 Minutes.
Minutes:
(Ms S Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind in Cambridgeshire, and Ms L Sidney, Engagement Worker for Mental Health Service User Network, were in attendance for consideration of this item).
(At 7.30pm, during discussions on this item, Councillor R Fuller took his seat at the meeting).
The Chairman briefly outlined the background to the Panel’s interest in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust’s (CPFT) mental health service redesign and its implications for Huntingdonshire, which had resulted in the permanent closure of Acer Ward at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. In introducing herself to the Panel, Ms S Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind in Cambridgeshire, reported that the Foundation Trust had launched a further consultation entitled “Personality Disorder Community Service/Complex Cases Service, including Lifeworks” which was welcomed by both Mind in Cambridgeshire and the Mental Health Service User Network. The consultation sought service users’ views on the future of community personality disorder services across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area.
During the discussions, the Chief Executive of Mind in Cambridgeshire expressed the view that since the redesign of mental health services came into effect, demand for acute beds continued to exist in Huntingdonshire. There had, however, been a noticeable shift in the availability of community services offered by the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team and plans were underway to introduce further changes to improve service delivery. She then drew attention to the pressures the voluntary sector would be facing as a result of budget cuts, which were likely to take effect from 2015/16.
Ms L Sidney, Engagement Worker for the Mental Health Service User Network, stated that service users were aware of the financial pressures on voluntary organisations and drew attention to the challenges associated with achieving equity of service across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area. There was a perception that some were disadvantaged in Huntingdonshire in some respects but this applied to a more significant extent in Fenland. It was, however, explained that Huntingdonshire had a fairly good range of service provision and, in terms of location, was very accessible for service users.
In response to questions about the Advice and Referral Centre, Ms Hughes and Ms Sidney confirmed that the Centre did not provide patients with direct access to services. Instead, it acted as a referral system for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Primary Care Trust. There was concern that the level of demand for mental health services was increasing, with patients waiting as long as six months in some cases. Other comments, which were noted by the Panel, related to the absence of an established process for patients being transferred from adult people’s services to older people’s services, the lack of awareness of the CPFT’s Transportation Fund, the potential amalgamation of voluntary services and the need to bridge gaps in accessibility and referral routes to services. In terms of the latter, the Panel’s attention was drawn to a national campaign entitled “Combat Stress”, which sought to train staff on assisting members of the Armed Forces who had returned to the community who had been diagnosed as having mental health problems.
Having questioned whether both of their organisations had responded to the current consultation being undertaken by the Clinical Commissioning Group on proposals to improve older peoples healthcare and adult community services, Ms L Sidney advised that the views of service users had been collated and she undertook to share with Members the comments which had been received. The Service User Network was confident that it would establish good working relationships with the successful provider.
Discussion then ensued on the range of methods utilised by both organisations to publicise their services and the reasons for the increased level of demand. At the conclusion of the discussions, the Chairman thanked Ms Hughes and Ms Sidney for their attendance at the meeting and requested Officers to circulate details of the current consultation being undertaken by the CPFT on Personality Disorder Community Service/Complex Cases Service, including Lifeworks to the Panel.