Agenda item

Adult Mental Health

For the Sub-Committee to review the current status and plans for Adult Mental Health including the Mental Health Concordat and 5 Ways to Wellbeing.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Senior Commissioning Business Partner - Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Dementia, Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – Oldham Cares on the current status and plans for adult mental health in Oldham, including the Mental Health Concordat and the 5 Ways to Wellbeing.

 

The author of the report, accompanied by the Oldham CCG Clinical Director for Mental Health and the Acting Consultant in Public Health attended the meeting to present the information and to address the enquiries of the Sub-Committee.

 

It was reported that, with regard to Mental Health, Oldham was performing well compared to the other local authorities in Greater Manchester. In the United Kingdom, one in six adults experienced a common Mental Health problem such as anxiety or depression. Researches showed that people affected by Mental Health issues, lived 15 – 20 years less than those who were not affected by this condition. Mental disorder represented 23.6% of disease burden, but only 9.6% of the NHS budget.

 

With regard to mental wellbeing in Oldham, it was reported that at least 3,800 children had a mental health problem. Depression and anxiety were higher than national level. Lower employment rate was reported in those with mental illness compared to the general population. Mental health problems cost the Oldham economy a significant amount of money. 

 

Prevention was the key message. The Prevention Concordat had been signed by a wide range of partners and stakeholders to promote good Mental Health and preventing Mental Health problems. The strategy was accompanied by a set of resources to support local interventions.

 

In Oldham, the multi-agency leadership approach had attracted funding from the Department for Education (DfE). Programmes and initiatives underpinned by the Prevention Concordat and those funded via the Opportunity Area were outlined.

 

It was also reported that, currently, people with Mental Health issues who experienced a crisis in the evening, or at week-ends, or on Bank Holidays could only access A&E. As a part of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, Crisis Safe Heaven had been established in Oldham. The service was located at Forrest House and it was a calm and safe environment staffed with clinical and non-clinical team which provided an alternative to hospital admissions and would alleviate pressure on wards. Members of staff would work closer with social workers to address the needs of the patients.   

 

Members sought and received clarification / commented on the following points:

-       Mental Health patients with alcohol and drugs dependency and impact of Mental Health on domestic violence – It was explained that this was a complex issue as these patients needed intense support. A new provider had been commissioned in Oldham and Rochdale – Turning Point – to improve links between Alcohol and Drugs Misuse providers and Mental Health providers. With regard to domestic violence, alcohol and drugs were symptoms of underlying Mental Health issues. A project implemented in Leeds to tackle this specific issue had given positive outcomes and it would be followed in Oldham.

-       Because of its complexity, Members would like to see this item in future agendas of the Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

-       New plan to improve access and flow for patients with Mental Health problems, could current situation about workforce shortage across Greater Manchester undermine the plan? – It was explained that early identification of mental health and offer of solution as well as being creative in using the workforce (e.g.: Healthy Minds and MIND) had been included to support access to all clinical services; this was more difficult for clinical wards where Mental Health nurses were necessary. A coordinated Greater Manchester strategy would be needed to address this issue.

-       Prevention and joint approach – It was explained that a significant part of the transformation work was focussing on physical health and people managing their own condition. Also an increased link between Thriving Communities and social prescribing was noted.

-       Need to promote awareness and reduce the stigma – It was explained that one of the outcomes of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health was to measure the number of people with severe Mental Health in employment. Currently, in Oldham, this figure was very low. When this improved, it would mean that the system worked.

 

RESOLVED that:

1.    The content of the presentation be noted;

2.    A progress report be presented in November 2019 with more information on prevention.

 

Supporting documents: