While significant action has been taken towards improving mental health crisis care across London since the signing of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, there is still a lot more to be done to ensure that Londoners in crisis get the help they need.
Healthy London Partnership (HLP)* is working on behalf of London’s 32 CCGs and NHS England (London) to support improvements across the capital, which includes transforming the Urgent and Emergency Care pathway for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and for those detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act.
Supported by the charities, Mind and YoungMinds, HLP has been working in partnership with service users and carers to make sure that all service transformation is rooted in the expectations of Londoners with lived experience of mental health crisis. Together they have developed a series of 'I' statements, first person statements which clearly set out what Londoners expect from the services and agencies involved in their care and are what people should be able to say when London’s crisis care is working well. More than 130 Londoners took part in an online survey, describing their recent experiences of care and explaining what’s important to them before, during and after a crisis. Respondents said they want to be treated with the same respect, confidentiality and compassion as all other patients. They want to be listened to and able to access high quality services when they need them most without feeling judged, and yet most reported that their recent experiences didn’t reflect this.
The ‘I’ statements were drafted from the survey responses and refined with the help of a service user focus group and further online consultation. Going forward, HLP will use the ‘I’ statements to ensure the service user voice remains at the forefront of all transformation work.
The statements were launched at London’s first Mental Health Crisis Care Summit in February by speakers with direct experience of mental health crisis. The statements, which can be viewed here , were well-received by both service users and multi-agency professionals working across London’s crisis care system, who came together for the Summit, which was the first of its kind for the capital and proved a great success. HLP has importantly been hearing from children and young people to make sure their specific needs are also addressed.
Additional ‘I’ statements have been compiled to reflect what Londoners who have experienced a mental health crisis as a young person want from their care. They should be read alongside and not instead of the other statements, which apply to Londoners of all ages. HLP is currently asking for feedback on these statements, so if you or someone you care for has experienced crisis care in London as a young person please help by completing this short survey. Currently, the ‘I’ statements are directly informing the development of a Health based place of safety specification and s136 care pathway for London. HLP will use the powerful statements to help drive both these and future improvements to London’s mental health crisis care system, ensuring that the voices of Londoners facing crisis continue to be heard when they are at their most vulnerable and that changes are made which lead to these statements being a reality across London.
For more information on HLP’s Mental Health Crisis Care Programme please email [email protected]
*For more information on Healthy London Partnership and the work it is undertaking visit https://www.myhealth.london.nhs.uk/healthy-london