We exceed national rates of physical health care assessments

We’re assessing the physical health of our mental health service users at a much higher rate than the national average, the results of an audit have found.

The audit, co-ordinated by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, looked at whether we screened people with psychosis to identify cardio-metabolic risks and provided appropriate support to help them manage the risk.

We passed the audit with a score of 98.6% for inpatient assessments, which have a score of just 55.1% nationally, and 78.5% for community assessments, which have a national score of just 43.6%.
Roland Miller, business manager, said: “People with psychosis can have shortened life spans due to cardio-metabolic risks such as high blood pressure, obesity, and drug and alcohol use. We’ve put tools in place that have changed the process of care. When we identify that someone has a risk, we offer them the help they need. By identifying the risks and providing the appropriate intervention we are proactively preventing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

“We have good systems in place which have brought teams together and enabled them to carry out the assessments effectively and routinely. Doing this work is more than just meeting a target –it makes sense to frontline staff. They can see that by doing this work they are making a positive difference to people’s lives.”