Patients back Milton Keynes' new early intervention mental health service
Current and former patients are praising CNWL's new Milton Keynes Primary Care Plus service, according to an independent review of their experiences.
Healthwatch Milton Keynes' Primary Care Plus Review found that service user feedback for the early intervention mental health service was overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the impact on wellbeing of people getting the right treatment at the right time for them.
This finding confirmed Healthwatch's own opinion that the PCP was an innovative development that was to be encouraged. It recommended further investment in the service by commissioners to increase accessibility.
It added: "If the pilot continues with the same standard of delivery, we feel it has the potential to address the health inequalities people talk to us about, in terms of accessing mental health services."
PCP Team Lead Gemma Bow said: "To have this sort of feedback shows we are developing the service along the right lines. We've instinctively felt that this is what patients wanted and we could see the outcomes were heading in the right direction, but for an independent review to say this means so much to all of us involved in this programme."
Mental Health Service Director Tyrone Blackford-Swaries added: "I was delighted to read this review. PCP Milton Keynes helps fill a gap that existed in mental health services across Milton Keynes. We are still in the early days of this service, which we hope to expand across more surgeries in Milton Keynes in the coming months. Well done team!"
The service, which has been running as a pilot programme for less than a year, sees mental health nurses working closely with six GP surgeries, out of 27 surgeries, to support patients with mental health problems who may not need support from specialist secondary mental health services.
It was set up following recognition of the need for improvement in the provision of early intervention service for local people who are experiencing mild to moderate mental ill health.
To conduct the review, Healthwatch spoke with 10 people - representing about 10 per cent of current and former patients. It asked each the same set of questions.
It found:
Service users highly value the programme
Support offered is tailored to the individual
Service users felt that the practitioners understood them and their issues
The timeliness of the initial contact is a key factor for the positive feedback
Increasing PCP working days at each surgery would improve access for service users
Referrals made by the service, and the support offered while waiting for further treatment, ensure that service user needs are met
100% of the people we spoke to said that the service was effective.
One person who spoke with Healthwatch said of the service: "I was over the moon, really happy with the different direction the GP was taking."
For more details:
Contact Senior Communications Officer Jeremy Dunning on
0203 214 5756 or email jeremy.dunning@nhs.net
Pictures attached of Gemma Bow and of Tyrone Blackford-Swaries