Issue - meetings

(20 minutes presentation/10 minutes questions)

The Board to receive a presentation on the transformation of mental health services across Bath and North East Somerset.

Kate Morton/Alison Smith

Kate Morton and Alex Luke gave a joint presentation on the transformation of mental health services across Bath and North East Somerset which was circulated separately and summarised below:

1.  Responding to our communities

2.  End to end pathways

3.  Partnership working for transformational services

4.  BSW integrated Access service

5.  Transformational Services in Partnership

6.  Access Mental Health

7.  Prevention/Early Intervention – Bath Mind and AWP

8.  Focus – Bath Mind and AWP

9.  Considerations for the Partnership:

a.  Improved system communication

b.  Cost pressures – invest to save

c.  Sustainable and viable contractual and financial models

d.  Information sharing and managing risk

e.  Coordinated, real time service mapping

f.  Community engagement and co-production

g.  Consistent outcome measures –financial and social returns on investment

h.  Workforce strategy

i.  Estates strategy

j.  Improving technology as an enabler

The Board raised the following comments:

1.  The Chair commented that it would be useful to have a progress report on the transformation programme including analysis on whether there was a gap in disadvantaged communities accessing services.

2.  Amrit Kaur reported that Healthwatch had received positive feedback on the services provided by the voluntary sector and stated that the funding of these services was important.  She stated that a lot of users would prefer a co-ordinated approach to accessing mental health care rather than having to go to a GP for a referral.  Kate Morton responded that there was a free phone number where people could access services and this needed to be better publicised.  She commented that there had been a scoping exercise about a physical access point but there were challenges in terms of where this could be located.

3.  In response to comments about workforce, Alex Luke confirmed that it was a huge challenge; there were a number of vacances and a lot of agency staff supporting mental health services.

On behalf of the Board the Chair thanked Kate and Alex for the presentation- and welcomed a wider discussion on the issues raised.