Topic Report: Mental Health 2024

Following the review of local and national data sets, this section outlines that the local area should consider the following recommendations:

1. Across all ages and service areas, undertake work to improve access, experience and outcomes for those from deprived and ethnic minority groups. This should include robust data collection, provision of information about mental health support, awareness of support available to address stigma and engaging communities to ensure services meet their needs.
2. Across all ages and service areas, consider opportunities to promote information and awareness of support available to men, where access to services is lower, and female referrals have increased significantly compared to male referrals.
3. Embed action to strengthen perinatal mental health services to ensure women are appropriately supported.
4. Identify opportunities to improve and protect the mental health and well-being of children and young people, with an emphasis on addressing mental health inequalities and responding to emerging priorities, such as self-harm and eating disorders.
5. Review data collection and reporting mechanisms to identify those with co-morbid mental health needs. And consider actions that required for identified groups to improve access, experience and outcomes.
6. Ensure equity across the local area for patient access to eating disorder services for all age groups, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan recommendations.
7. Work with partners across the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire (BOB) Integrated Care System (ICS), including the Provider Collaborative, to review the local offer of mental health inpatient services or alternatives to inpatient care for children and young people, such as hospital at home or day services.
8. Further investigate the number of mental health inpatient admissions for older people aged 65+, including reasons for admission, review the support package and early interventions to reduce inpatient admissions where appropriate.
9. Consider further utilisation of local data down to community board level to ensure that resources are focused on populations with greatest level of need.
10. Review the stakeholder feedback for adult services, to be available Spring 2023, and identify further actions and service development that may be required.
11. Consider reviewing the utilisation of digital services in delivery of mental health services, including how those from digitally excluded communities can be supported to access mental health services.