Improving Patient Care

How PCNs are working in partnership to support mental health


Source: NHS Confederation; 2021.

This briefing was developed jointly by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network and PCN Network and provides examples of three models of partnership working that are currently underway in primary care to support mental health at place level.

Key points include:

  • A seamless referral system between primary and secondary care is important for patients who have mental health needs.
  • Early interventions for young people can be very cost effective and improve access and outcomes in mental health, wellbeing, and physical health.
  • Working in partnership across the community, and pooling knowledge, resources and assets is important for improving access to services, providing cost effective interventions, and improving outcomes.
  • Joining up primary care and mental health services is essential. Primary care can help people who have milder mental health issues access support and reduce referral to secondary mental health services.

Covid 19

Current Awareness Updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination statistics, plans and documentation.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.

(This page brings together COVID-19 vaccination programme-related documents published by DHSC, and vaccination statistics published by other bodies within the UK.)

Second quarterly report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities Race Disparity Unit, Cabinet Office; February 2021

(The first report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities was published in October 2020. It concluded that a range of socio-economic and geographical factors coupled with pre-existing health conditions were contributing to the higher infection and mortality rates for ethnic minority groups. This second report now looks at those causes in more detail and sets out some of the work being undertaken to fill the gaps in our understanding and to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 infection. It sets out the progress made under the terms of reference and in implementing the recommendations from the first report.)

The other pandemic: the impact of Covid-19 on Britain’s mental health Public First

(In February 2021 Public First polled 4,000 people and held 12 in-depth focus groups with people from across Britain. The findings, published in this report, show that coronavirus has taken a toll on mental health in all parts of society – but especially women, the less well-off and young people.)

New WHO expert group to identify gaps and solutions to the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.

(The group, tasked with reviewing evidence, identifying gaps and exploring solutions, will inform and support countries’ efforts in addressing mental health needs within and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.)

COVID-19: ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Guidance, advice and information on how ventilation of indoor spaces can help to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to increase ventilation at home and in other settings.)

Earthquakes and COVID-19
Orlu FN. British Journal of Psychiatry 2021;218(3):172.

(Mental health services at all levels, including psychological services in primary care, bereavement services and secondary mental health services need to start preparing for post-lockdown demand for care by making arrangements for how they will manage increased demands for services. Mental health promotion should be launched now and after the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent an overloading of the National Health Service via the mental health services’ route.)

COVID-19 and Obesity: The 2021 Atlas. The cost of not addressing the global obesity crisis.
World Obesity; 2021.

(Through detailed analyses of the latest peer-reviewed data, we demonstrate how overweight is a highly significant predictor of developing complications from COVID-19, including the need for hospitalisation, for intensive care and for mechanical ventilation. Overweight is also a predictor of death from COVID-19.)

Remote engagement: removing barriers to inclusion in the context of COVID-19.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2021.

(This short paper outlines approaches and techniques to carrying out user engagement and coproduction activities where traditional face to face methods aren’t possible. It includes case studies of good practice from initiatives including Trailblazer projects Business Health Matters and Blackwood Neighbourhoods for Independent Living. )

Centre for Early Child Development

A good practice guide to support implementation of trauma-informed care in the perinatal period

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This guide aims to help staff and services understand the impact of psychological trauma on women in the perinatal period and respond in a sensitive and compassionate way. It aims to support staff to ensure they ‘do no harm’ through care delivery that, without thought or intention, could retraumatise individuals.

King’s Fund Book Club

Bertie’s Book Group- March

Bertie’s Book Group Group is a book club that focuses on fiction that touches on health or medical-related theme. The group meets on the third Thursday on every month at The King’s Fund Library; accessible by their website: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/search?search=book+group. To mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility in March, this month the group will be discussing Trumpet by Jackie Kay.

Trumpet: Amazon.co.uk: Kay, Jackie: 9780330511827: Books

If you would like to get involved simply join the conversation and join Bertie’s Goodreads book group to express your thoughts. The next event is being held Thursday 18th March (6pm-7pm). Click here to find out more.

Meet the Author

Araminta Hall

Araminta Hall has worked as a writer, journalist and teacher. Her first novel, Everything & Nothing, was published in 2011 and became a Richard & Judy read that year. Her second, Dot, was published in 2013.

She teaches creative writing at New Writing South in Brighton, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is the great niece of Dodie Smith and great granddaughter of Lawrence Beesley, who survived the Titanic and wrote a bestselling account of the tragedy in the book, The Loss of the SS Titanic.

Her book, Our Kind of Cruelty, was published by Penguin Random House in 2018. It is a deeply unsettling thriller of a love story, in which a secret game between lovers has deadly consequences… This was followed by her latest novel, Imperfect Women, published by Orion in August 2020.

As our featured author, Araminta has kindly answered a few questions for us about books that have entertained and inspired her and her work as an author.

Read the interview here.

For more information about Araminta and her books follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

LSCFT Research

March bulletin

Take a look at all the research that our colleagues at Lancashire and South Cumbria Trust have been part of. The bulletin promotes research conducted by Trust staff and recognises their support and dedication towards evidence based practice.

It is available to view and download below.

If you or your colleagues are involved in any research, please let the Library team know by emailing; academic.inbox@lscft.nhs.uk

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

WHO reviews effect of physical activity on enhancing academic achievement at school.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.

(Today children and adolescents aged 5–17 years spend nearly two thirds of their time at school in sedentary activities and only five percent of school time doing physical activities. According to the WHO/Europe review, increasing the amount of physical activity can have a positive impact not only on children’s health and well-being, but also on their performance in the classroom.)

New data show vaccines reduce severe COVID-19 in older adults Public Health England (PHE); 2021

(New data show both Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines significantly reduce severe COVID-19 in older adults.)

A window of opportunity for Public Health NHS Providers; 2021

(A new briefing by NHS Providers looks at the risks and opportunities which may arise from the dissolution of PHE and the creation of the National Institute for Health Protection. It outlines considerations for a new public health system, along with the role of Trusts and Integrated Care Systems.)

NHS entitlements: migrant health guide.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients. 17 February 2021: Updated links to COVID-19 migrant health guidance, dental health, and access to healthcare for migrant and/or undocumented children.)

Healthy weight environments: using the planning system.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

[How local authorities’ public health and planning teams can promote healthy weight environments.]

Physical activity: understanding and addressing inequalities.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Evidence-based guidance for addressing inequalities in physical activity locally. This guidance can be used by local level practitioners and commissioners to begin tackling inequalities in physical activity across and within protected characteristic groups. It presents the findings of a review, analysis and research aimed at understanding the enablers, barriers and opportunities for increasing physical activity across inequality groups.)

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Keeping children safe from abuse and harm.
Home Office, Public Health England, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, and Department for Education; 2021.

(Advice for parents and carers about the main risks children may be particularly vulnerable to at this time and information about available help and support.)

COVID-19 in children and the role of school settings in transmission – first update.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); 2020.

(The aim of this document is to provide an update on the knowledge surrounding the role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the role of schools in the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the experience in the EU from August–December, 2020. This document also addresses transmission to and from staff in school settings, school-related mitigation measures including risk communication, testing, contact tracing and the efficacy of partial and full school closures.)