Agenda item

To hear from the Mental Health Support Association.

The Panel heard from Anne Clancy, the mother of a current patient on Downhills Ward and also received an email submission.  Points made included:

·        The Home Treatment Team is over whelmed and on its knees.

·        There is no continuity.

·        Beds have always been full over the past ten years.

·        Mrs Clancy’s daughter has experienced times when the Ward has been over flowing and she has had to go and sleep somewhere else.  Places have included a geriatric ward and Barnet General hospital.  This has caused a relapse when she has been on the cusp of recovery.

·        Feels it is counter-productive to take people out of their communities.

·        When it was announced that Downhills Ward would close there were 9 patients on the Ward (including her daughter).

·        At this time there was no mention of the options which had been outlined earlier by the MHT.

·        In August Mrs Clancy had been told that Downhills Ward would not be closing.

·        The distress and trauma inflicted upon patients on the Ward was felt to be outrageous.

·        Asked for reassurance that options mentioned will be monitored to ensure they are implemented.  The Chair of the Panel informed Mrs Clancy that the Panel would be monitoring.

The Panel heard from the Haringey User Network that:

·        There is poor satisfaction amongst service users of the Home Treatment Teams.

·        That there are 8 beds in the Haringey Recovery House and 4 each in Barnet and Enfield.

·        There were examples of health professionals calling to admit people to Recovery Houses but being told there was no space and therefore having to treat them in the community.

·        Service Users want a Home Treatment Team service which is working, which it is not felt to be at present.

·        It is not the time to be closing beds.

·        With regards to bed numbers at St Ann’s – Haringey Ward has 12 beds, Finsbury Ward has 18 beds and Downhills Ward has 18 beds.

·        Feeling that no answers are providing by the MHT and very little notice given to service users/patients, their carers and families.

The Panel heard from Ms. Campbell, patients mother, who expressed that she was still in shock what had happened with the announced closure and was also still very concerned about her daughter being moved at a time that she is making progress.

The Panel heard from MIND in Haringey that:

·        It was good that more people are being treated at home, but there are flaws in the system for example, people find it difficult to contact Home Treatment Teams.

·        Pets are very important to people and patients at St Ann’s are currently able to pop home to check on their pets, if patients were moved further away this would not be possible.

·        Advocacy provision would be much more difficult should patients be moved out of St Ann’s to a location further away/harder to reach.

·        People would prefer to be more local to their homes and communities that to have facilities such as an ensuite.

In response to the points raised above the Panel heard from Maria Kane, CE, BEH MHT who made the following points:

·        The MHT recognises the impact on staff, service users and families.

·        There are mystery shoppers looking at Home Treatment Teams on an ongoing basis as there has been some poor feedback.  However it should be noted that this is not all teams.

·        Maria requested that any issues from people with concerned are directed to her with specifics so that she can look into them properly.

·        Future communications will take place differently.  There are safeguards within the new communications policy to ensure that the issues regarding Downhills Ward communication are not repeated.

·        3 staff workshops have taken place alongside the re-drafting of the communications policy and have included communications, change management and involvement.

·        A new staff member has joined the Communications Team to support the work.

·        Changes are part of a programme and are not a ‘knee jerk’ cut.

·        Current patients on Downhills Ward will not be moved.