mental health

Bringing together physical and mental health
1 2 3 4
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of some anti-psychotic medications) is deemed to be the responsibility of the
prescribing psychiatrist.
Implementation of the physical health check protocol was facilitated by the creation
of a digital template, alongside a training and engagement programme with nearly
all the practices involved in delivering the checks. The digital template is the first
of its kind and has been adapted to all of the major health care IT systems used in
the local area. It provides a structure for consultation, prompts the care professional
when an adverse result is recorded, and enables them to capture all key information
very simply in one location. While there have been some delays communicating
results between the systems used by different providers, the template has been well
received and its usage has been consistently high. The digital template has been
made available to the rest of the NHS and has been promoted by NHS England.
Key enablers
••
The project team in Bradford visited 65 out of 80 practices before the health checks
went live in primary care, offering half-hour sessions in practices to cover the case
for change, how to use the template, and how to embed it into workflows.
••
In inpatient and community mental health care settings, the team provided
training on how to carry out the specific tests required (blood tests, blood pressure,
height, weight and temperature measurements) alongside a scenario-based training
programme to improve mental health professionals’ understanding of how to
respond to an emergency medical problem in psychiatric settings.
••
Commissioners supported implementation of the protocol by making available
some project funding for the core team, and incentivising local providers to
complete checks through a locally agreed Commissioning for Quality and
Innovation (CQUIN) payment.
Further information
••
Kate Dale, Mental Health Nurse and Physical Health Project Lead for Bradford
District Care NHS Foundation Trust. Email: Kate.Dale@bdct.nhs.uk
• • Dr Angela Moulson, GP and Clinical Specialist Lead for Adult Mental Health and
LD for Bradford City and Districts CCGs. Email: angela.moulson@bradford.nhs.uk
Appendices: case study site profiles 93