National Event on Regional
Networks for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health - Outcomes January 2010
The
National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued their guidelines on Antenatal
and Postnatal Mental Health; including Clinical Management and Service Guidance
(National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2007). The report notes that there
should be perinatal mental health managed clinical networks in all part of the
country, managed by a coordinating board of healthcare professionals,
commissioners, managers and service users and carers. They should coordinate
the provision of services across various different agencies and organisations
for example maternity, mental health, primary care, and social services.
The
establishment of clinical networks will support standard setting and
monitoring, participation in research and the integration of learning from
national schemes such as Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health
(CEMACH).
In
particular, the NICE guidance advocates a network approach to the organisation
and provision of perinatal mental health services, managed around the woman and
her family. It sets out the evidence base for clinical management of specific
mental health problems, many of which respond well to treatment (Oates 2000). The
network should have an identified clinical lead who will champion implemention
of the new approach.
One of the
main aims of the National Perinatal Mental Health Project is to facilitate the development of regional managed care
(clinical) networks within the regions.
Through my discussions with key strategic
regional leads in supporting the development of these networks,
it was decided to hold a national meeting to provide an opportunity for
people from the regions to meet, exchange information, and provide regional
updates on developments of networks on perinatal and infant mental health.
As a result, a national event on regional managed care
(clinical) networks in perinatal and infant mental health was held on 21
January 2010. The national event had presentations from a range of networks
from across the regions on perinatal and infant mental health networks. Those
regions were:
·
East Midlands Region Download presentation
·
South Central Region Download presentation
·
North West Region Download presentation
·
Eastern Region Download presentation
Outcomes of the National Event are listed below:
- To provide an opportunity for strategic leads from the regions to meet, and exchange information on regional networks
- Provide regional updates on the developments of these networks on perinatal and infant mental health
- Better understanding on how a network can be established for strategic regional leads and practitioners
- Opportunity to better understand the gulf between Adult and Children Services in Mental Health
- Provided a networking opportunity to provide further links within regions
- Compare and contrast the variety of regional networks
- Provided outcomes of networks
- Provided good practice examples on perinatal and infant mental health
- Establish a strategic reference group on networks
- How to overcome barriers with establishing networks
- Begin to link national strategic partners with regional partners and practice
- Opportunity to communicate a range of diverse points of view between practitioners
- Highlight issues with commissioning appropriate services