Health Management and Policy Alert

Eliminating inappropriate out of area placements in mental health

Royal College of Psychiatrists - 

The government’s deadline to eliminate inappropriate out of area placements for adult acute patients by the end of March 2021 has now been missed by a full year. Sometimes hundreds of miles away from home, patients are unable to access their usual support networks while at their most vulnerable, often finding their care seriously disrupted with long term implications for their recovery. The NHS spent £102 million on inappropriate out of area placements in the twelve months up to and including March 2022 – the equivalent to the cost of the annual salary of over 900 consultant psychiatrists. This briefing sets out the urgent action the NHS should take to ensure all patients get the care they need from properly staffed, specialist services in their local area.

• Briefing
• Press release

Investigating factors associated with loneliness in adults in England

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) - 

The DCMS commissioned National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to explore factors associated with loneliness in adults in England. The research investigated: the characteristics of those at risk of loneliness; whether the risk factors for loneliness have changed over time; whether any factors predict the alleviation of loneliness over the short term; and the relationship between loneliness and mental wellbeing.

• Report
• Press release

Mental health and loneliness: the relationship across life stages

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) - 

This report presents the findings from a qualitative study exploring the experiences of loneliness among those who had experienced a mental health condition. Previous research has shown there is a link between experiences of loneliness and poor mental health. The DCMS commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to explore this issue across four key life stages as part of developing the evidence base for work on tackling loneliness.

• Report
• Press release

Tackling mental health disparities

Centre for Mental Health - 

Mental health inequalities mean that while it is true that anyone can experience mental ill health, the risks are much higher for certain groups who experience structural discrimination and disadvantage. This briefing sets out ten evidence-based actions that the government could take in the forthcoming disparities white paper.

• Briefing
• More detail

Mental Health Act reform: race and ethnic inequalities

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology -
The Government announced plans in the Queen’s Speech to bring forward legislation to reform the Mental Health Act 1983. The proposals include approaches to reduce the disproportionate number of individuals from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities subject to compulsory detention and treatment. This briefing outlines research on race and ethnic inequalities in relation to the Act, summarises proposals for reform and stakeholder views.

• Briefing
• Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology - publications

Medical emergencies in eating disorders: guidance on recognition and management

Royal College of Psychiatrists -
This report finds that signs that someone with an eating disorder is dangerously ill are often missed by healthcare professionals due to lack of guidance and training. The research finds that hospital admissions for eating disorders have increased by 84 per cent in the last five years reaching a total of 24,268 admissions. Children and young people with eating disorders are the worst affected with a rise of 90 per cent in the five-year period. This guidance is aimed at frontline staff so that people with eating disorders needing urgent care can be identified and treated earlier.

• Guidance
• Appendices
• Royal College of Psychiatrists - press release

A picture of health? Bridging the gap between physical and mental healthcare in adult mental health inpatient settings

National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) - 

This report reviews the quality of physical healthcare provided to adults in mental health inpatient settings. Based on data from patients aged 18+ admitted to a mental health inpatient setting for more than one week from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019, the report found that a detailed physical health assessment was not undertaken appropriately for 28 out of 126 (22.2 per cent) patients, and physical health conditions were not included in the initial clerking for 29 out of 150 (19.3 per cent) patients. As such, it suggests that a physical healthcare plan should be developed when patients are admitted to a mental health inpatient setting.

• Report
• More detail

Partnership working in Doncaster to support children and young people’s mental health

NHS Confederation - 

The Doncaster Children’s Partnership set up the multi-agency Social and Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) Group, which brings together key influencers and decision-makers from the CCG, local authority, children and young people’s mental health service provider and other partners. The SEMH promotes better joint assessments, planning and service delivery for vulnerable young people in need of care, which has led to reduced delays and improved access to appropriate help and support for children and young people in the local area.

• Case study

Employment advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 
Employment advisors (EAs) in improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) is a single service that brings together employment advice and support within IAPT provision. Therapists and EAs work collaboratively to deliver a personalised service to clients based on their individual needs. This research explores the profile of EAs in IAPT clients, the experiences and longitudinal outcomes of these clients and the impact of seeing an EA.

• Report
• More detail

Inquiry into women’s health and well-being in prisons

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women in the Penal System - 

As part of its inquiry into women’s health and well-being in prison, the APPG received written evidence and held oral evidence sessions with expert witnesses. Prisons are not healthy environments. They are unable to address the physical and mental health needs of women and in fact exacerbate them. Imprisonment compounds the victimisation of women, the majority of whom have experienced violence or abuse prior to prison. This briefing finds that despite the overwhelming evidence that prisons impact negatively on women’s health and well-being, there has been little progress in reducing the number of women sent to prison.

• Briefing
• Press release