King’s Health Partners have been shortlisted for an award following their contribution to the physical wellbeing of people with serious mental illness, writes Herbie Russell…
The Best Mental Health Partnership award recognises transformative practices that have improved mental health patient outcomes within the NHS
King’s Health Partners found it took too long for mental health technicians at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) to get information on their patients from doctors at partner trusts.
By streamlining the communications between mental health clinicians and physicians, King’s Health Partners ensured that Maudsley patients could be treated quicker.
The improvements were made as a part of the ‘Integrating our Mental and Physical Healthcare Systems (IMPHS)’ project, funded by Maudsley Charity.
Ray McGrath, the project’s lead nurse said: “Our staff across King’s Health Partners have dedicated themselves to finding impactful and out-the-box solutions for their mental health patients and service users.
“This nomination has been a tremendous boost to staff across King’s Health Partners.”
Since Consultant Connect, a telemedicine provider, was brought in to improve the system, its service has been used 14000 times for 50 specialisms.
In 70 per cent of recorded cases, SLaM technicians could treat patients’ physical health without the time-consuming process of hospital referral.
Based at Guy’s Hospital, King’s Health Partners is a health sciences centre where they research, educate and provide clinical practice.
It comprises King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and SLaM.
The award’s winner will be announced at the HSJ Partnership Awards ceremony, Westminster Park Plaza, Southwark on March 24 2022.
The full list of nominees for the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022 is here.