The joint workshop at the MHN conference 2009
The joint Mental Health Network (MHN) and the Ambulance Service Network (ASN) workshop looked at how ambulance services can develop alternative care pathways with their local mental health providers to improve patients’ outcomes, service efficiency and reduce costs.
Ambulance services respond to people with a wide range of mental health problems every day and some of these patients will need to go to a hospital Emergency Department (ED) but for others this may not be the most appropriate place to receive care. If ambulance crews could make direct referrals to local mental health services, for example through agreed alternative care pathways this could avoid unnecessary admissions to the ED.
Sue Putman Clinical Educator, Mental Capacity Act Lead for South Central Ambulance Trust set out the challenges and opportunities for alternative care pathways drawing on her recent experience of setting up pathways with local mental health providers.
The challenges identified include:
- Identifying the right teams and people in mental health trusts to commence discussions about setting up pathways – ambulance trusts will have a number of mental health providers in their region. Ideally there should be one person in the ambulance service preferably with the knowledge and understanding of mental health service provision to establish links.
- Formalising alternative care pathways agreements between the ambulance trust and mental health services with the support of senior management.
- Advertising the pathways making sure that the information is available and accessible 24/7 to all relevant staff in the ambulance and mental health services.
- Reviewing the process for the pathways regularly.
The following opportunities for alternative care pathways were identified:
- Improved service for patients with mental health problems with quicker access to the right service at the first time.
- For ambulance staff, they will have prompt access to professional advice from mental health providers in managing specialist conditions.
- The cost benefits are both financial in a reduction of inappropriate attendance to the emergency department and human in that alternative care pathways may also help to identify frequent callers, some of whom will have underlying mental health conditions, and ensure that their cases promptly and effectively through better contact with mental health service providers.
Steve Shrubb, Director of the MHN also launched the joint ASN and MHN publication on partnership working between ambulance and mental health services which highlights the work on alternative care pathways.
Download the 'Getting to a good place: partnership working for mental health patients' briefing.
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