Communications Update
| Pages | 33-33 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13619322199600032 |
| Published date | 01 September 1996 |
| Date | 01 September 1996 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
The Mental Health Review 1:3 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) 1996 33
Communications Update
HSG(96)6 Supplementary Approval to Local
Authorities in 1996/7 for Capital Funding to Develop
Social Care Services for People With Mental Illness.
HSG(96)7 Specific Grant to Local Authorities in
1996/7 for Development of Social Care Facilities for
People With Mental Illness.
HSG(96)8 Carers (Recognition and Services) at 1995:
Policy Guidance and Practice Guide.
HSG(96)11 Guidance on Supervised Discharge
(After Care Supervision) and Related Provisions.
HSG(96)29 Homeless Mentally Ill Initiative.
HSG(96)31 A National Framework for the
Provision of Secondary Care Within General Practice.
Copies of HSGs can be obtained from:
Department of Health
PO Box 410, Wetherby LS23 7LL
Tel: 01937 840250
Fax: 01937 845381
A DoH press release (96/135) on 23 April 1996 noted
that the Mental Health Challenge Fund will help
create and support over 60 projects including:
●200 beds in special 24-hour nursed care units;
●12 new crisis intervention services;
●expansion of 20 extra CMHTs;
●seven new outreach teams and three new home
support schemes.
DoH (1996) Long Term Care: Government response to
the first report of the Health Committee on Long Term
Care: 1995–6. HMSO (Cm 3146). Available from
HMSO.
CMHSD Research Update
The Primary Health Care Team
and Service Provision for People With
Mental Health Problems Project
This project was commissioned by the South
Thames Regional office and was launched last
autumn with a brief to:
●achieve an overview and summary evaluation of
the variety of approaches to mental health service
provision in primary care in West Sussex and East
Surrey Health Authorities;
●make recommendations for the development of
mental health services to serve GPs and the rest
of the primary health care team (PHCT).
With the support of an advisory group comprising
local GPs and purchasers, a questionnaire was
developed, piloted and mailed to every practice in
East Surrey and West Sussex. A respectable 50%
response rate has been achieved (n=80) which is
currently in the process of being analysed. It is
already apparent that in terms of satisfaction with
waiting and response times, communications, and
outcome, GPs are significantly more satisfied with
mental health services provided in primary care
settings.
This postal survey will provide an up-to-date
picture of the current configuration of mental health
providers, both within the practices and based else-
where, that are being used by GPs. It will also
provide a sampling frame for interviews with GPs
selected from practices that have comparatively high
satisfaction with mental health service provision.
Further funding is being sought to extend the
project and investigate how GPs are achieving
effective working relationships with specialist adult
mental health services. Six contrasting models,
judged to be satisfactory by general practitioners,
will be explored in depth. This stage of the project
will examine ‘stakeholder definitions’ of both
effectiveness of different models and the processes
that promote effective collaboration. Depth interviews
will be conducted with GPs, service users, carers,
specialist mental health service providers and
personnel from the respective health commissions.
Overall this wealth of qualitative and quantitative
data will inform strategic and service development
processes, purchasing intentions, and performance
management regarding mental health services
provided both by the primary health care team
and specialist mental health service providers.
For further details please contact Steve Onyett,
Senior Research Fellow, Tizard Centre, University
of Kent (formerly of CMHSD), on 01227 764000 or
Alan Parham, Research Associate, CMHSD.
UPDATE
To continue reading
Request your trial