Agenda item

The report sets out the response from Kent and Medway NHS Social Care Partnership Trust and NHS Medway CCG in respect of the request at the last meeting for regular updates on the position with the acute mental health inpatient beds review. 

Discussion:

The Chief Executive and the Director of Operations, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) introduced the update report.  The Chief Executive stated that in relation to data requested from the last meeting any outstanding information would be circulated to the Democratic Services Officer within 24 hours of the meeting.

The Chief Executive pointed out the improvements that were taking place in the community in particular with the Personality Disorder unit in Gillingham, which was proving to be very successful, and avoiding the need for those people to be admitted into an acute setting.  She undertook to share outcomes with the Committee.  Reference was also made to the work, which KMPT had done since the last meeting with Public Health and some Members in order to produce data, which would be helpful for the Committee.

Following Member questions it was stated:

• There were occasions when it was necessary to leave a bed unoccupied in an acute setting to allow for people who have had 24 hours leave to go home
• There had to be a set time that details were taken of bed availability during the day that meant that while it was accurate at the time of collection it was not necessary correct subsequently.  For instance sometimes people are admitted but there is a delay in getting their details logged electronically so they would not be shown if data is gathered early in the day
• In relation to the question of whether there were sufficient beds for Kent and Medway that question should be directed to NHS Medway CCG as the commissioners
• Any decision to discharge a patient from the acute setting needed to be made by a clinician
• All discharges are monitored to see whether re-admittance was needed to ensure that people were not being discharged inappropriately
• Further details would be provided to the Committee about details of those being sent out of area for reasons of needing specialist treatment
• No specific budget was set for the cost of out of area placements as this was based on clinical need
• The Chief Clinical Officer, NHS Medway CCG confirmed there was only one day in the last two months where more than 174 beds were needed.  Commissioning additional capacity that, from modelling predictions, would be regularly unused meant that financial resource was not available for other areas of patient need
• The Director of Public Health offered to re-model the data produced for the Committee if that would be helpful
• In relation to the concern expressed relating to the holding of acutely mentally ill patients in Police cells Members were asked to give further details to the Chief Executive in order for her to investigate the matter
• In relation to the Appreciative Inquiry to be held in September it was requested by Members that hard data about outcomes for people with mental health problems being treated in the community and also support in the hospital should be made available.  A suggestion was also put forward that attempts should be made to invite and include people that were hard to reach, the silent minority
• It was stated that the Psychiatric Liaison support in the hospital was now 24 hrs a day 7 days a week, two members of staff during the day and one at night
• The Chief Clinical Officer, NHS Medway CCG acknowledged that more investigations were needed around out of area placements and the gleaning of qualitative data rather than quantative data which had been collected so far
• The Chief Executive, KMPT agreed to come back with details of staffing vacancies and a view as to whether enough staff were available/whether some positions were difficult to fill.  She did make the point that the area was in competition with London which made it more difficult to recruit
• The Chief Clinical Officer, NHS Medway CCG agreed to talk to the representative from Medway Pensioners Forum outside of the meeting about concerns she raised regarding the mental health needs of older people

Decision: 

The report was noted and the Chief Executive of KMPT was requested to provide further information, prior to the next meeting, as set out above.