Good Performance in Mental Health Care
South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust has been rated ‘good’ for quality of services in the Healthcare Commission’s new Annual Health Check, published today.
The Trust serves people with mental health problems and learning disabilities in the Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield areas. This rating highlights the sustained improvements that the Trust has made in delivering high quality services that meet local needs.
The annual health check is the most comprehensive assessment yet of how the NHS is doing. It measures how well healthcare organisations are performing by answering the questions that matter most to service users and the public, including outcomes of treatment, and the quality of the environment in which care is provided. The health check covers two areas – the Trust was rated as ‘good’ for quality of services and as ‘fair’ for use of resources, which means it performed adequately with some areas for improvement.
Steven Michael, acting chief executive, has sent a personal message of thanks to the Trust’s 2400 staff who work from over 60 different sites. He said: ‘We are very pleased with the results of the first annual health check. This is an achievement in a year when staff have worked hard to improve services in line with what people said was important to them.
‘We have made a lot of positive change, in response to what service users and carers told us they wanted, for example, more services in community settings and increased support for people at home. We have worked hard to offer services that are modern and effective and that meet the needs of individuals, and I am very proud of the continued commitment and professionalism of our staff. Whilst there is obviously still room for improvement, staff should be encouraged by this recognition of their hard work and good practice.
‘I would also like to thank people who use our services and their carers who have helped us in planning and moving services forward, and our partners in health, local authorities and the voluntary sector. ‘