SCN West Midlands workplan 2013-14

This document outlines the high level work priorities for 2013-14 of the Strategic Clinical Network for Mental Health, Dementia and Neurological Conditions West Midlands.

Download the SCN West Midlands workplan for 2013-14

Mental health

Mental health work priorities are to:

  • Develop and support an outcomes-based approach to commissioning mental health services.
  • Develop and test solutions to successfully deliver improved physical healthcare for people with a mental health problem.
  • Consolidate the improvements in primary care mental health services (including IAPT) and explore opportunities to develop psychological therapy services for children closer to home.
  • Explore pathways and services for people with neuro-developmental disorders in order improve patient experience and quality of services.

Anticipated outcomes include:

  • Improved access to services which results in clinical improvement and recovery
  • Reduced cost to the system and the economy as people recover more quickly from illness
  • Increased patient choice and satisfaction
  • Improvements in patient reported outcomes and recovery rates.
  • Reduction in ‘excessive’ deaths for people with a serious mental health illness compared to people in the general population.
  • Reduction in health inequalities within the region.
  • Better management of long term comorbidities and medication.
  • Improvements in patient, user and carer-reported experience.
  • Improved quality of life for people with a mental illness.

Dementia

Dementia work priorities are to:

  • Support increased prevention and timely diagnosis for people with dementia, including ensuring the availability of appropriate support before and after diagnosis.
  • Translate strategy into tangible outcomes aimed at improving the experience of care for people diagnosed with dementia.
  • Improve the experience of end of life care for people with dementia and their carers through the development of robust integrated pathways.

Anticipated outcomes include:

  • An increase in people with dementia receiving a formal diagnosis.
  • An increase in the proportion of people receiving a diagnosis when they are in the mild to mid stages of illness.
  • Increase in the proportion of patients with dementia, having a full diagnostic assessment.
  • An increase in the number of patients and carers who have a positive experience of health care services.
  • An increase in the length of time people with dementia are cared for at home.
  • Improvements in reported patient and carer experience.
  • Reduction in dementia-related emergency admissions.
  • Improved quality of life for people with dementia currently living in care homes.

Neurological conditions

Neuological conditions work priorities include:

  • Develop and map the commissioning arrangements and the configuration of  services across the West Midlands.
  • Map the major condition pathways in order to capture the existing experience of patients, to include care integration.
  • Build on the work of the West Midlands Quality Review Service by leading the implementation phase of the recent review of Neurological services.

Anticipated outcomes include:

  • Better management of disease with more control for patient and family.
  • Better adherence to and more appropriate use of, medication.
  • Clear pathways for 3 long-term neurological conditions across the West Midlands.
  • Reduction in length of stay associated with hospital admissions for the 3 neurological conditions.
  • Improved quality of life for people with a long-term neurological condition.