MENTAL HEALTH IN ARGYLL & BUTE 2012: EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership (CHP) held a series of briefing events during March and invited staff, service users and members of the public to attend to find out more on the progress of the redesign of mental health services in Argyll and Bute. There were 22 meetings and over 270 people attended the events.

Below are the most frequently asked questions and the response from the CHP.

Will the new service model provide sufficient in-patient beds?
We have designed the new model based on an increased number and composition of community mental health teams. The range of professionals and support staff will focus on managing care at home, which we know people would prefer, managing crisis and where appropriate help people leave hospital quickly and avoid some preventable admissions. We are confident that this will work and we will monitor the changes very carefully when they are implemented.

If people are admitted to the locality hospital, does this increase risk to other patients?
One clear message people have given us is that we should make more use of the locality hospital when someone is unwell. This view was so strong that we amended our proposals to include this. In future, it is planned that a person can be admitted to a locality hospital, if it is thought to be clinically appropriate, for a period of up to 48 hours. In reality, this is already happening in some localities. Many individuals and their families appreciate this because it allows them to maintain contact with their existing support and friends closer to home. ‘Clinically appropriate’ is based on a professional judgement and in consultation with the person concerned. If someone is psychotic, at risk or in need of specialist treatment then they will receive it in the Argyll and Bute Hospital.

There is a need to improve transport in Argyll & Bute, there are particular concerns about ambulance service provision.
We know local people have concerns about all forms of transport. We have previous experience of this in relation to other projects and we will apply this knowledge to this redesign. We have involved the Scottish Ambulance Service in our planning, particularly around developing community services and crisis response, and we will continue to work closely with them.

Will the new service model provide the right number of staff?
We have agreed the new service model and are now working on the associated staffing. We have already mentioned increases in staffing of the new community mental health teams and the increase in specialist roles. In the hospital, we plan to increase the staff to patient ratio to provide a high level of care. One of the difficulties for us in deciding on the correct staffing levels is that there is very limited national guidance in this area. Where it exists we are applying it and where is doesn’t, we are using our staff’s professional experience and judgement, based on what is known to be best practice.

Derek Leslie, General Manager of Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership, said:

“Last year Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership carried out a formal public consultation on proposals for change to mental health services in Argyll and Bute and the preferred option was approved by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the summer.

“Since then we have been implementing our project plan and we are keen to regularly update staff, service users and members of the public to keep them informed.

“I was also delighted that so many people took the opportunity to come along, meet with local health professionals and ask any questions that they may have.”