Praise for Local Mental Health Trust

Published today, the Healthcare Commission report on its recent review of the Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust shows the organisation to be well regarded by external partners and the recognised local champion for mental health services.

A team of experts visited the Trust last November to review how the Trust provides services. The Healthcare Commission looked at a wide range of information about the organisation, visited services and talked to staff, service users and people and organisations who work with the Trust.

The Healthcare Commission’s report - which gives an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the Trust’s systems for safeguarding and improving the quality of care – highlights a number of areas which it finds impressive, as well as identifying areas of action where the organisation needs to improve its clinical governance.

The report describes as “exemplary” the involvement of service users in early intervention in psychosis services. Service users work with staff to create videos that describe their experience of psychosis; the videos are used in teaching about the Trust’s recovery model of care.

The Healthcare Commission also commends the care provided by the Trust’s sports therapists, physiotherapists, art therapists and occupational therapists, which improves patient’s physical fitness and encourages creativity.

The Eating Disorders Service is praised for the way it works with service users and their carers using its evidence-based approach to treatment.

The use of Life Trees on older people wards to record important life events and key relationships in an individual’s life, is highlighted as an example of good care, as is the support given to carers through the provision of a nine-module course on caring for older people.

The Healthcare Commission is impressed with the support services available to staff, including the Dignity at Work policy and Mediation Service, which they say is valued by staff at all levels within the organisation.

Areas highlighted for further work include:

Developing service users and carers involvement in strategic planning

In light of the review we are keen to discuss with service users and carers how we develop service user and carer involvement. Up till now we have focused upon local arrangements in individual services. The challenge is to balance this with work to influence the Board.

Should the trust decide to apply for foundation status there will be opportunities fordeveloping greater service user and carer involvement in operational decision-making and strategic planning; and considering how the wishes of service users and carers to focus their energies at a local level – expressed through responses to recent consultation - can be reconciled with a need to place greater emphasis upon patient and public involvement at a strategic level. Further discussions on applying for Foundation Trust status will take place at the Trust’s February board meeting.

Strengthening the involvement of doctors in the organisation’s strategic decision-making processes

The Trust has reviewed arrangements for bringing doctors into the organisation’s decision-making processes. We have decided to appoint associate medical directors for each of our five areas of service. The first appointment has been made and others will follow shortly.

Improving the use of information systems to inform clinical practice

The Healthcare Commission is right to point to the importance of having accurate, up-to-date clinical information about people, which can be accessed around the clock. This is vital to providing good quality mental health care. It also allows organisations to improve the quality of care.

Significant improvements have been made to the computer systems that support the care provided by clinical staff since the Trust was established and the organisation is now developing new clinical information systems and training for staff.

Developing a workforce plan and implementing lifelong learning for staff

The Trust has recently appointed a Project Manager to carry out workforce planning.

The Trust has workforce and staff training and development plans to support current levels of service and has successfully developed a number of key initiatives - for example creating the role of consultant occupational therapist and developing models of nurse prescribing.

The Trust is working with its local health and social care partners to clarify issues around long-term staff recruitment, retention and training.

Improving audit of environmental risk

The Trust is confident the physical environment in which it offers care is as safe as any other NHS mental health trust.

As with all mental health services, a balance needs to be struck between achieving acceptable levels of risk and creating an environment that promotes recovery and offers appropriate standards of privacy and dignity.

An independent review of environmental risk andligature point risk at the Trust’s main sites was undertaken in January. The results of this review will be available in March 2005. The Trust will then determine what action needs to be taken in relation to any risks identified.

Commissioning priorities and configuration of mental health services

The Trust will continue to work with its local health and social care partners on agreeing commissioning priorities and the configuration of all mental health services in Gloucestershire.

Jeff James, Chief Executive, Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust commenting on the Healthcare Commission’s Clinical Governance Report said:

“We very much welcome the publication today of the Healthcare Commission’s report. It provides us with independent feedback on how we stand in our third year of life as a Trust. It identifies what we do well, and helps us to focus our future agenda for further development. It’s good to receive on behalf of staff the accolades for the hard work and commitment that underpins services. It’s also good to hear the Healthcare Commission’s advice on areas where we need to improve our clinical governance.”

The Trust will now develop an action plan that responds to the areas highlighted for further work. The development of the action plan starts with the Trust’s Action Planning Workshop which is being held on Wednesday 2 February 2005.

The full report is published on the Healthcare Commission website. You can also view the report by clicking here