HEALTH MATTERS

●● Emma Leigh, clinical projects manager at NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) conditions.

These services are usually known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Services, or IAPTs.

Following a public engagement exercise with people living in Eastern Cheshire, together with those who provide mental health services, we took a significant decision to redesign our existing service to offer a wider primary mental health service to both address and treat those who experience mild to moderate mental health problems.

As GPs are often the first people someone will approach when they are feeling low, primary care is well placed to provide proactive, timely and effective management of low to moderate mental health needs.

However, in doing this our GPs need to be able to refer to a range of services, in order to meet patients individual needs, for example, supported self-care and a range of clinical therapy.

The model that NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG has developed, following extensive research, and following national guidelines from NHS England has two elements:

1. A clinical-based IAPT service, which can be accessed via selfreferral and through your GP – available at a time to suit your needs

2. A ‘wellbeing wraparound hub’, so that everyone, regardless of whether they are suitable for the clinical service or not, can access mental wellbeing support, delivered in the community.

The new services will be operational early in January 2017, and we’ll be providing updates over the coming months as more plans develop.

If you would like to know more, contact me via emmaleigh@nhs.net. ●● What is primary mental health?

Primary care workers, such as GPs and practice nurses, are skilled, able and supported to provide mental health services and are considered to be the front line of primary mental health care treatment.