A mental health trust governor urged people to be kinder to each other – especially on social media – just weeks after the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
Gabrielle Gardner, who spoke about suicide prevention on Latest TV last week, said that this sort of cultural change was crucial if more people were to enjoy better mental health.
She said that a kinder culture would also have the benefit of reducing demand for the services offered by organisations like the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Ms Gardner spoke out as the trust’s council of governors discussed its annual plan at a meeting in Worthing this morning (Monday 2 March).
She also urged the trust to make better use of “digital resources” – including apps for patients and clinicians – and to do so more quickly.
She was told that the trust already used apps for patients and was making progress on using digital technology to improve the way that it worked.
And Anne Beales, a non-executive director of the trust, said that any new system had to be introduced properly across the organisation
The council of governors heard that the trust’s annual plan for 2020-21 had three strategic themes – people, participation and partnerships.
These were discussed against a backdrop of a number of challenges, including recruiting and retaining staff, meeting performance targets and keeping to budget.
The trust has a four-week waiting target of 95 per cent but saw only 84 per cent of adults within this time – and only 68 per cent of young people.
A report to the council of governors said that “recovery plans” were in place and added: “Achieving the target will, however, require a ‘whole system’ response as we need to reduce the caseloads within community teams and reduce numbers of inappropriate referrals from primary care.”
The trust was working with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to “ensure capacity matches demand” for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
The report said: “Sussex commissioners are supporting the building of a business case and, in the meantime, services are identifying potential areas for short-term funding to increase capacity.”
The trust was also trying to reduce the length of stay for inpatients and wanted to reduce bed blocking, also known as delayed transfers of care (DToC).
The report said that, in the most recent quarter, some 67 patients had a stay of longer than 60 days in a mental health unit such as Mill View Hospital in Hove.
Bed blocking rates were above the average for the previous year “although it should be noted that DToC is now being recorded more accurately”.
The report added: “Our local authorities are supporting us to identify accommodation options but this remains challenging given the availability of suitable housing.”
Despite extra cash for staffing, including £1.4 million for crisis services, the trust still faced challenges with recruitment and retention.
The annual turnover rate had improved from 15.2 per cent to 14.2 per cent but staff sickness in December was 5.26 per cent.
The “high use of agency staffing” and pressure on beds, requiring “external” or “out of area” placements, contributed to an overspend of £1.3 million by the end of December.
The trust’s chair Peter Molyneux thanked non-executive director Lewis Doyle for his service as he attended his final council of governors meeting.
Mr Doyle previously served on the board of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and the Sussex Eye Hospital.
Mr Molyneux also thanked lead governor Amy Herring for her service at her final meeting in the role.
The trust will hold elections, starting in June, to replace seven governors whose term of office
ends in September as well as to fill two vacant positions.
For more information about the election and becoming a governor, email natalie.hennings@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk.
For information about Grassroots suicide prevention, click here.
