Psychosis pathway aims to revolutionise patient care

A new care pathway being developed aims to revolutionise the care of people with severe mental illness – and it has government backing.

People with psychosis currently die 15-20 years earlier than the rest of the population. It is hoped the new pathway will replicate the successes seen in stroke and cardiac care, where the right approach has transformed sufferers’ health and quality of life.

Clinicians and people with severe mental illness are working together on the development of the pathway, to ensure those with psychosis will receive the right support in the right place and at the right time.

The project is being led by the Wessex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), and piloted in Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. It was recently awarded funding by NHS England (Regional Innovation Fund) due to its innovative approach to improving care. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has also supported the work with a small grant.

Care Minister Norman Lamb has welcomed the work. He said: “This work has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of people experiencing some of the most debilitating mental health problems in Wessex.

The pioneers of the Wessex psychosis pathway want to learn from the best. They have seen the fantastic outcomes generated by pathways in stroke and cardiac care, and they want the same for mental health. This work sets a shining example of innovation and good practice across the rest of the country.”

An engagement event for work on the pathway is being held tomorrow (20 November) at Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst from 9am-4.30pm.

Eminent speakers include Dr Geraldine Strathdee, National Clinical Director for Mental Health; Dr Sridevi Kalidindi, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry; and Dr Shanaya Rathod, Consultant psychiatrist and Mental Health Clinical Lead, Wessex AHSN who is leading the work on the pathway.

Dr Strathdee said: “It is unacceptable that people with psychosis wait up to two years for care. It is also clear that while some areas commission and provide outstanding best practice care, the variation across England is large.

“This means that, as we have seen in the recently published national audit of schizophrenia, some young people and their families who live with psychosis cannot now access the right medicines, the right psychological therapies, the right physical care, the right support and the right information to self-manage and make informed choices about their care.

“The introduction of the standards for access to early intervention psychosis services from next year will start to bring better care across the country. I am delighted to attend this event to hear how local partnerships, experts by experience, clinical champions and the transforming Wessex AHSN are developing this new psychosis pathway.”

Dr Rathod added: “Pathways are the key to reducing variation in healthcare, and can deliver dramatic improvements in patient care. Our work here absolutely fits in with the government’s drive to ensure parity for mental and physical healthcare.

“We were absolutely clear that this pathway needs to be developed with the insight of people who use mental health services, and their feedback has been a revelation. It will really help us develop and deliver a pathway that revolutionises care for people with psychosis, and becomes the gold standard.”

About psychosis

If you have psychosis, you might see or hear things, or hold unusual beliefs that other people do not. Some people describe it as a ‘break from reality’.

Psychosis is a set of symptoms, rather than a condition in itself. In many cases, if you experience these symptoms you are not aware of this and believe that the sensations are real. About 1 in every 100 people will experience a psychotic episode in their lifetime. Typical examples of psychosis include hallucinations or delusions.

You might have symptoms if you have one of the following conditions:

Schizophrenia

Bipolar Disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Drug induced psychosis

Psychotic depression

Postnatal (puerperal) psychosis

Personality disorder

Organic psychosis

Delusional disorder

Reaction psychosis/brief psychotic episode.

For more information about psychosis, visit http://www.rethink.org/diagnosis-treatment/conditions/psychosis

Facts and figures

30% of Wessex service users with psychosis get admitted to mental health inpatient wards, compared to 8% of those with other mental health conditions

Mental health service users with psychosis stay significantly longer in hospital than others

Psychosis sufferers from ethnic minorities in Wessex are much more likely to be admitted to mental health inpatient wards, and to stay far longer, than White-British.

About 1 in 10 of Wessex users who attend A&E are suffering from a known mental health condition

Wessex users with psychosis account for £1.3m of the A&E spend in 2012-13

Wessex spent at least £7.2 million in 2012-13 on care for psychosis patients admitted to non-mental health trusts.