Acute Inpatient Care
NEW RESOURCE - March 2007: A Positive Outlook: a good practice toolkit to improve discharge from inpatient mental health care
9% of all patient in mental health beds currently experience a delayed discharge. Thsi publication provides practical guidance and innovative practice examples to help local serices improve discharge and reduce the level of delays being experienced by adults and older people in mental health services.
Introduction to the Acute Inpatient Care Programme
In April 2002, in order to provide much needed guidance on policy and good practice for acute inpatient care, the Department of Health published the National Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide on Adult Inpatient Care. At its launch, Health Minister Jacqui Smith stated that:
"The Government views adult acute inpatient care as an essential and core element of each local mental health service system. Improving inpatient care is key to the Government's drive to reform and improve mental health services."
Progressing the implementation of the Acute Inpatient Care Guidance became one of NIMHE's core programmes when it was first established in 2002. Each Regional Development Centre has identified acute care programme leads who are responsible for supporting the local development and activities of Acute Care Forums within each Mental Health Trust and developing essential regional and national networks. This will offer the opportunity for frontline health staff to put the acute care guidance into practice, by sharing the challenges, ideas and good practice and providing mutual support.
Here in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, progress is continuing:
The first national survey of acute inpatient mental health wards was published on 25th May 2005 by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (the survey was commissioned by NIMHE). Click here to go to the NIMHE national website and find out more about this work.
Staff: Yvonne Stoddart
