Issue - meetings

The Board received a report and presentation from the Director – Halton Place, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, on the utilisation of mental health beds for Halton residents.

The presentation gave details on:

·       the type and number of adult mental health inpatient commissioned beds for Halton residents;

·       utilisation of commissioned beds and any out of area placements;

·       services commissioned to support patients to safely remain in the community, reducing avoidable admissions, providing better quality and outcomes for local people; and

·       the challenges faced in ensuring local people were able to access inpatient mental health beds locally, when they needed them. 

To provide some context to the total number of adult bed days, numbering 14,890, this was equivalent to a total of 40 beds available in Halton each day.  The Board was provided with information on the numbers of adult mental health bed days utilised in Halton, in comparison to other Mersey Care locations.  The same was provided for older adult bed days.

It was commented that the Council’s Mental Health Teams struggled to access these beds at times; this would be discussed at the next ICB meeting.

For its next steps, it was reported that NHS Cheshire and Merseyside was implementing a Mental Health System Flow Programme in 2024-25.  This was intended to reduce the numbers of patients waiting in a community setting for admission to a hospital bed; to reduce the numbers of patients waiting in acute hospital emergency departments for discharge into the community or to a mental health inpatient bed; and to reduce the number of patients who were clinically ready for discharge in mental health in-patient settings.

RESOLVED:  That the Board note the contents of the report and presentation.