Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Daniel Herbert, Mandy Carey, John Carver and Simon Price.

Of the meeting held on Wednesday 29 January 2014 to be agreed as a correct record.

Please note – the service users who attended the last meeting have not been named in the minutes as prior agreement from them to name them in the public minutes had not been sought. 

The Chairman to ask service users if they are happy to be listed as members of the board on the public minutes.

Action: the Chairman

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 29 January were agreed as a correct record.

Matters arising

·         The Chairman agreed to invite the officer who is currently covering for Ojalae Jenkins to a future meeting to update members on the work currently being undertaken in Dementia Services.

Action: Chairman

·         The Chairman asked the service users who attended the last meeting whether they were happy to have their names included in the public minutes.  It was agreed that Debi Game would follow-up with service users and collate a list of those who confirm that they are happy to have their name included.

Action: Debi Game

The following objective from the Plan will be discussed at the meeting.

Primary Care Mental Health Services

To improve health and social care outcomes for those with common mental illnesses.

Jackie Prosser from the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group will update Members at the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed Jackie Prosser from the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group who is responsible for commissioning primary care services.  She made the following main points during her presentation.

·         Healthy Minds Bucks provides a fast acting NHS service offering talking therapies, practical support and employment advice to people with a GP in Buckinghamshire.

·         There is a national programme for accessing Psychological Therapies.  The programme is in its 5^th year and is supported by all political parties.

·         Money has been invested in evidence based services for depression and anxiety.  A programme has been developed for more direct access to psychological therapies.

·         Richmond Minds have been working closely with Healthy Minds to deliver the service in Buckinghamshire.

·         The Public Health team are finalists in a recent Public Health Award category.

·         The aim is to get to the right place at the right time in a timely manner.

·         Buckinghamshire has taken the lead in developing its IAPT services.

·         There is a national programme entitled "Parity of Esteem" which is around managing mental health. 

·         Aylesbury Vale CCG and Chiltern CCG have consistently invested more money in mental health services.

·         Memory clinics have been set-up to aid early diagnosis of dementia.

·         There is a project currently underway which is looking at peri-natal mental health as it has been acknowledged that this requires a more robust pathway.

·         In association with British sign language, work is currently underway with Thames Valley and Oxford to help people who need these services.

·         Mental Health Awareness week will be coming up soon and the CCGs will be working hard to promote this.

During discussion, the following questions and comments were made by members, officers and health professionals.

·         A member commented that, from their experience, accessing services has been very poor and very frustrating.

·         GPs need more training to direct people to the right place.

·         There needs to be a fast-tracking system for patients.

·         It is helpful to know that the disconnect in the current system has been recognised and that changes have been made.

·         A member commented that GPs do have their hands tied due to funding cuts and some services are not available.

·         Dignity and respect are very important and if a patient is not treated properly then it can result in poor patient outcomes.

·         There are crisis teams based in Aylesbury and Chiltern.

·         A member commented that the late stages of psychosis mean the patient becomes more isolated and it is difficult to get the patient to seek professional help.  GPs no longer visit patients in their own homes.  Jackie Thomas said that some patients are seen by GPs in their own homes.  She went on to say that she appreciates that access to some GPs can be hard but there is a lot of work being carried out to break down the barriers. 

·         Healthy Minds has an open access system.  GPs used to make all the decisions and a patient’s treatment but the IAPT service is now involved in this.

·         Early intervention across all the services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Attached is a priority work plan which will be discussed at the meeting.

Debi Game started by saying that a service user and carers workshop took place on 13 March.  It was well attended – 8 service users, Bucks Mind, Wycombe Mind and Carers Bucks.  Following on from the workshop, a 12 month workplan has been developed.  A copy was included in the agenda pack.

One of the issues raised at the workshop was to better understand how mental health service users and carers access information around benefits and to develop mechanisms to support them.  The Chairman confirmed that there is still a benefits advisor at the County Council who can provide help and advice.

It was agreed that the Chairman would speak to Marcia Smith in relation to accessing information on benefits.

Action: Chairman

A member commented that the National Citizen’s Advice Bureau website is very helpful.

Work is already being carried out to provide an up-to-date directory of services detailing the range of statutory and voluntary services.

Jonathan Redman-Thomas (with input from all service users), Rachel Fryer and Jackie Thomas from Oxford Health agreed to work on the issue around better understanding the changes and challenges to statutory service provision for Mental Health Service Users and Carers.

Action: Jonathan Redman-Thomas/Rachel Fryer/Jackie Thomas

Jackie Prosser agreed to meet with Debi Game to discuss the issues around training and access and information to GPs.

Action: Jackie Prosser/Debi Game

One of the priorities for HealthWatch is around mental health so links need to be made with this organisation.

It was recognised that there may be a need for financial help, Member involvement to promote the services as well as commissioning support.  The Chairman agreed to speak to Debi Game after the meeting.

Action: Chairman/Debi Game

Debi Game agreed to look at the timelines of the work streams and to update the workplan with these.

Action: Debi Game

The Chairman to provide a verbal update on this new facility which opened recently in Aylesbury.

Jackie Thomas from Oxford Heath reported that the Whiteleaf Centre opened about three weeks ago.  Three wards are already full – two adult acute wards and one older peoples ward.  Patients will be moving into the rehabilitation ward shortly.  She went on to explain the facilities which are available at the new centre which includes a privately run café in the main building.  There is a gym which can be used in-patients.  GPs can refer patients to free gyms in the community to aid their recovery.

Staff numbers have increased and the position of Modern Matron has been introduced.

A member asked whether a future mental health partnership board meeting could be held at the Whiteleaf centre.  The Chairman agreed to speak to Jackie Thomas about this after the meeting.

Action: Chairman/Jackie Thomas

Board Members to discuss the implications of the differential tariffs on mental health services in Buckinghamshire.

The Chairman started by explaining that Neil Oldfield emailed a question in advance of the meeting expressing concern about NHS England’s decision to cut the amount of money the sector will receive in "tariffs" or fees for its services from April will badly hit an area of NHS care that is already "straining at the seams".  The Chairman said that the NHS is looking at a 1.8% reduction in non-tariff services (ie. all mental health services) and a 1.5% reduction in tariff services (ie. hip operations).  He went on to say that the 1.8% de-flater is happening in Buckinghamshire and money has been put back into the contract.  Additional monies are being directed to the Liaison Service (£200,000 extra funding for this service which is in the social care budget).  Jackie Prosser added that additional services are also being put into early intervention measures.

A member suggested that this issue should be discussed in more detail at the future meeting.  The Chairman agreed that a discussion around how Oxford Health is doing things differently could be discussed at a future meeting.

Members noted the priorities update for the Partnership Board.

The draft minutes from the last Executive Partnership Board meeting are attached for information.

Members noted the draft minutes from the last Executive Partnership Board meeting.

To be advised.

The Chairman agreed to advise Members on the dates of future meetings.  He asked members whether they wished to keep the meetings on a Wednesday afternoon and this was agreed although they asked if the meetings could start a little earlier than 2.30pm.

Pat Milner said that Appetito, the food service company, would like to provide a tasting at a future meeting.

The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance at the meeting.