Community mental health transformation
Over the next few years some important changes will be made to the way community mental health services are going to be delivered in Bradford District and Craven.
These changes will improve the way people with severe mental illness access services within their community.
An investment of £39 billion is being made available nationally by 2023 to help better integrate mental health services into communities. This is a major investment in community mental health transformation work to improve service delivery and aims to address the significant inequalities people with severe mental illness face.
NHS England have put together a short video which describes what community mental health transformation is and how it will benefit people with severe mental illness (SMI).
Why are we making these changes?
Many things impact our mental health – stress, lifestyle choices, poverty, housing, unemployment, financial worries or domestic abuse. At the moment, when someone seeks help with their mental health it’s sometimes difficult to find the right support because services are run by different organisations. This means things can be difficult to navigate and people may not have the best experience or outcomes.
To support people in Bradford District and Craven to live ‘happy, healthy at home’ and to improve access to high quality, safe services, we are looking at how all the different organisations that provide support can work better together. This includes the NHS, local councils (Bradford Council and North Yorkshire Council), voluntary and community sector organisations, and primary care networks (PCNs) which are groups of GP practices working together. The aim is to focus on local patient care, will play a key role in the delivery of community mental health services in the future.
Importantly, we’re also drawing on the experience of people who have either used mental health services or who care for someone who has. We want real experience to inform the changes we make, helping us to shape better services. We believe this is the best way to improve the experience and outcomes for service users and their families and carers.
Watch a short video from Lisa and Eva, clinical managers for community mental health transformation, explaining why this transformation programme is taking place for Bradford District and Craven
What will these changes mean to the people of Bradford District and Craven?
When someone in Bradford District or Craven experiences severe mental illness, we want to ensure that:
- it’s easier to access the right mental and physical health support and care in the right place at the right time, including specialist pathways for complex mental health problems
- waiting times from seeking help to getting support are reduced to less than four weeks
- a trusted assessment process is followed so a personalised care plan can be produced, and patients only need to tell their story once
- health and social care, and voluntary and community sector organisations involved in providing support and care work together in trusted integrated teams so experience, skills and knowledge can be shared
- services provided in Bradford District and Craven are linked up better in our neighbourhoods and communities, for example mental health services and voluntary and community support services work more closely with groups of local GP practices (primary care networks – PCNs)
How will the changes be delivered in Bradford District and Craven?
We will be introducing a community mental health transformation core model, which will show how we will be improving community mental health services over the next few years. The model will also show how we’re putting the individual at the centre of their care and what your support can look like, it also shows how everyone that is involved in your care is acting as one, so you receive a seamless service.
How you can get involved
If you would like to get involved in community mental health transformation work, please email wellbeing@bradford.nhs.uk