Agenda item

A report on Enhancing Older People’s and Neuropsychiatry Services was introduced by the Director of Operations and Service Line Manager for Neuro and Old Age Psychiatry of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.

It was anticipated that demand for older people’s services would rise significantly over the next few years.  The Trust’s Business Plan showed that demographic change would mean that within our catchment population the number of people aged over 65 years would increase by 7.8% between 2012 and 2017 and by 12.7% for people over the age of 80.

The Enhanced Outreach Team would continue the core role of supporting patients in their own homes as an alternative to hospital admission and in supporting discharge.  However, this would be extended to support more complex patients, which could be people in residential or nursing homes.

The enhancement would be achieved by supporting the cohort of patients with one less fifteen bedded ward, allowing for staff from this area to be redeployed into the community team.

Harplands Hospital wards would, in the short term, maintain the capability to support similar cohorts of patients.  In the longer term, they would also provide greater variety of services, by way of enhancing rehabilitation services.

The proposals were:-

(a)   Extending older people’s mental health care closer to home.

(b)   Building on the success of the Community Outreach Team

(c)    Supporting clients in care homes

(d)   Delivering inpatient care from three wards, not four (reduction of fifteen beds)

The Community Outreach Team role was:-

(a)   Qualified mental health staff supported by a Consultant Psychiatrist

(b)   The team delivers intensive support in people’s own homes

(c)    Advice on behaviours, medication and support

(d)   Supportive discharge from in-patient wards

(e)   Available seven days per week, 8.00am to 8.00pm (supported by Acute Home Treatment Team, 8.00pm to 8.00am)

It was asked what measures were in place to ensure that all care homes were up to the correct standard of care.

The Service Line Manager confirmed all care homes were inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

All care homes had a Care Home Liaison Team who had an obligation to flag up areas of bad practice.

The Outreach Team were working with staff to provide support and training and had an obligation to bring care homes up to the required standard.

A Member asked if there was a timescale for working with families or was it based on need.

It was responded that it was based on need. 

Concern was raised that residential care was means tested and whistle blowing should be encouraged to achieve the best practice across the board.

Members were reassured any concerns were raised by the staff.

It was advised by a Member that should the discharge system not work effectively for Combined Healthcare to return to this Committee for support.  This offer was thanked by the Director of Operations.

The Chair asked for Combined Healthcare to be invited back to Committee in four months’ time for an update and thanked them for attending.

Resolved:-   For North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare to be invited back to the meeting to be on the 29^th April 2015.