NHS trusts collaborate on mental health

A COMMITTEE has been formed from four NHS mental health providers in West Yorkshire with the goal of greater collaboration on issues such as suicide prevention.

Foundation trusts in Bradford, Leeds and York, as well as the South West Partnership, will be involved in the committee which will meet quarterly.

Known as the West Yorkshire Mental Health Services Collaborative, each trust’s board will maintain its own statutory responsibilities and deliver services. But, the committee has stressed, it will enable them to make more “streamlined” decisions, working together for collective ambitions such as eliminating out-of-area placements.

Dr Sara Munro, of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “We want to make sure that mental health and learning disability services across West Yorkshire provide consistent, high-quality care for the whole person which is firmly connected to local communities and where people live. To do this, we need to work together on some of the biggest challenges we face, strengthening our joint working and working in partnership with commissioners, emergency services and voluntary and community-sector partners.

“We already have plans in place to improve specialist mental health services. We’re also working to reduce deaths by suicide, reduce out-of-area placements and improve urgent and emergency care.”