Agenda item

A presentation from representatives of the NHS details the mental health transformations and reforms affecting the London Borough of Enfield.

Natalie Fox - Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, BEH and C&I, Josephine Carroll - Managing Director, BEH- Enfield Mental Health Division and Parmjit Rai - Managing Director, BEH-CAMHS Division presented the details the mental health transformations and reforms affecting the London Borough of Enfield.

Members noted and welcomed that there had been significant Government investment in mental health provision, which would enable training in and delivery of mental health services.  Members supported the funding of the mental health services as the mental health of one person could destroy families. 

Members also noted that there was an overlap in the provision of drug and alcohol services with mental health services.  Unless funding was available specifically for the provision of mental health services there would be an unnecessary increase in patients attending other areas of the NHS, such as the Accident and Emergency Departments, which in turn impacted on other emergency services such as the Police.

At the invitation of the Chair, Nusrath Jaku, Programme Manager, One-to-One (Enfield) asked that the self-referral pathways for adults with autism through GPs be made clearer and that information for peer support groups working with adults waiting for a diagnosis and employers be made readily available.   Voluntary organisations were working with employers to improve their understanding of the needs and support for employees with autism to prevent loss of employment, which in turn may led to mental health issues.

The Programme Manager also asked that young adults with autism be encouraged to speak out, through engagement with the voluntary sector and other organisations and that their voices be heard and listened to.

The Public Health Director reported that Enfield Borough had a very low suicide rate, however during economic crises and associated pressures suicides tended to increase.  The Panel Members endorsed the approach collaborative working to prevent suicides, for early intervention and to provide mental health services to patients and asked that a report detailing information regarding the number of suicides and contributory factors in the Borough be provided at a future meeting of the Panel.                     ACTION

The Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer reported that the pathways of the adult and children were being brought together and the NHS were setting up resources so that residents did not have to wait and were supported.

The Scrutiny Panel requested that the Council’s Communications Team arrange a communications update on the mental health self-referral pathways scheme including GPs and how to access the Crisis Houses and the Crisis Café.                                                                                                 ACTION

At the request of Members, clarification of the acronyms contained in the presentation from the NHS would be circulated to the Scrutiny Panel and that in future presentations would be accompanied with a glossary of terms.

AGREED that:

1. The presentation of the Community Transformation programme to deliver mental and physical health support to more people in the community be noted; and

2. The Council’s Communications Team arrange a communications update on the mental health self-referral pathways scheme including GPs and how to access the Crisis Houses and the Crisis Café.