LANCASHIRE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 'UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT'
There are around 17,600 people aged 65 years and over in Lancashire with dementia and these numbers are expected to rise to more than 25,600 by 2025. This predicted increase is linked to the ageing population. Given these circumstances, dementia is very much a local and national priority.
Many carers and people with dementia themselves, have told us that being able to live in their own home was very important to the person with dementia. There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that people with dementia should be moved as little as possible, so caring for people in their own home or in the community is the most effective way to offer care, resulting in better outcomes for people.
The five Lancashire Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are currently carrying out pre-consultation work leading to a formal public consultation later this year which will focus on dementia services in Lancashire.
The emphasis of the current work is to develop a high quality network of services for the whole of Lancashire – the vision is to 'help people with dementia and their carers to live well with dementia, no matter what the stage of their condition'.
The consultation will explain how those bodies responsible for commissioning dementia services in Lancashire will continue to build upon and improve a County-wide network of services. This will ensure that services for people with dementia are of a consistent standard in all areas and the overall aim is to make sure that wherever possible people with dementia and their carers can be supported to continue to live in their usual place of residence.
The views of service users, carers, members of the public, patient representative organisations and others will be essential to achieving a successful consultation, which is likely to ask the following:
• Do you think the services outlined in the consultation will help people with dementia stay out of hospital?
• How have these changes affected you so far?
• Will they affect you in the future?
• What are the main issues for you? For example;
- Access and travel
- Keeping in contact with your family
Over recent years significant progress has been made to improve community services for people with dementia across Lancashire. This has meant a shift in resources from hospitals to community-based services - in fact, 97% of dementia care now takes place in the community rather than in a hospital.
With the right network of services in place, only a small number of people with very complex needs or challenging behaviour will need extremely specialist hospital-based mental health care. Most of these people will have been detained under the Mental Health Act.
In terms of specialist inpatient beds, this service will run from one new site in Lancashire – 'The Harbour' (Whyndyke Farm, Blackpool) for the very small number of people who need this level of care. The location of this new specialist unit is not part of the consultation, but views regarding access and travel to 'The Harbour' and any other issues raised will of course be welcome.
If you would like to feed in your views during this pre-consultation phase, or if you would like your details to be added to the mailing list to receive consultation materials and further information, please contact:
Paul Hopley: Head of Programmes, or Pat Rolph: Project Support
Service Users and Carers will continue to be involved with strategic developments
FEEDBACK is a regular newsletter produced by the Lancashire Third Sector Consortium for mental Health on behalf of the Mental Health Commissioning Network.
The Lancashire Third Sector Consortium for Mental health (LTSC) is a group of charities and 'not for profit' organisations who meet regularly to discuss how they may support and provide services across Lancashire.
Contact details for: Lancashire Mental Health Commissioning Network
The Lancashire Mental Health Commissioning Network supports the work of the five Lancashire NHS Primary Care Trusts and three Local Authorities, in coordinating a Lancashire wide commissioning network for mental health services.
Rebecca Davis
Network Director - Mental Health Commissioning
Lancashire NHS PCTs and Local Authorities
Lancashire Mental Health Commissioning Network rebecca.davis@bwd.nhs.uk
Tel: 01254 282179
Lancashire Mental Health Commissioning Network
Hosted by NHS Blackburn with Darwen,
First floor, Guide Business Centre,
School Lane, Blackburn, BB1 2QH lancashirementalhealth@bwd.nhs.uk
Tel: 01254 282229 - Fax: 01254 282233
Website: www.lancashirementalhealth.co.uk