Latest news with #JimMackey
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS to roll out 'pioneering' A&E units where patients can be seen in 10 minutes
The NHS has announced a new service that will allow patients with symptoms of a mental health crisis to be seen 'within 10 minutes'. The new mental health units seek to slash waiting times and avoid overcrowding in A&E departments, The Times reports. Dubbed 'mental health A&Es' by health bosses, the service will be staffed by specialist doctors and nurses and will be open to patients who present symptoms of a mental health crisis, such as suicidal thoughts or psychosis. READ MORE: High street store that closed all 236 UK stores in 2012 set to return READ MORE: Can you pass a British citizenship test? See if you can answer these 23 questions It comes amid a 'corridor care' crisis and pressure on emergency services. Figures show that more than 1.7 million patients waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from A&E last year, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said. A 2022 report by the RCEM found that patients attending emergency services with mental health symptoms are twice as likely to wait 12 hours or more than other patients. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, told the paper: "Crowded A&Es are not designed to treat people in mental health crisis. "We need to do better, which is why we are pioneering a new model of care where patients get the right support in the right setting. "As well as relieving pressure on our busy A&Es, mental health crisis assessment centres can speed up access to appropriate care, offering people the help they need much sooner so they can stay out of hospital." Ten NHS trusts have already launched separate units for mental health emergencies, some of which are at sites of existing A&Es. The units are open to walk-in patients and to those referred to the service by GPs and police. The 'mental health A&E' scheme is expected to be expanded nationally to dozens of locations. The move is part of a 10-year NHS plan to be published this summer by the Labour government, according to The Times. Mental health nurse Toti Freysson, who manages the service, told The Times: "Anybody who walks in is seen by a mental health specialist within 10 minutes." Freysson added: "Normally in A&E they would have to wait for hours, surrounded by the noise and the chaos. Most of the people we see have suicidal thoughts. Here, they can come in and sit with their families. We are able to intervene early and link them up with treatment in the community. It means we can get them home much sooner." Claire Murdoch, the NHS national director for mental health, told the newspaper: "I would certainly hope to see these mental health A&Es across the country over the next decade." Dr Luke Evans MP, shadow health minister, said the Conservatives welcomed the move. He added: "However, this follows the Labour Government's decision to cut mental health spending as a proportion of the overall NHS budget and impose a Jobs' Tax that has forced mental health charities and local authorities to redirect their resources away from those struggling most. "This Government must now make sure that these units are funded properly so that those struggling the most with their mental health can receive the targeted and compassionate care they're in need of."
Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Mental health A&Es to be opened across England
The NHS is opening a network of mental health accident and emergency units across England in an attempt to relieve pressure on overcrowded hospital. The units will offer round-the-clock care for patients who are feeling suicidal or experiencing symptoms such as psychosis or mania. The specialist centres have opened in 10 NHS trusts, some on the sites of existing A&Es, and will welcome walk-in patients and those referred from GPs and the police. The scheme is expected to expand to 'dozens of locations' nationally as part of Labour's decade-long plan for the health service. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, told The Times: 'Crowded A&Es are not designed to treat people in mental health crisis. 'We need to do better, which is why we are pioneering a new model of care where patients get the right support in the right setting. 'As well as relieving pressure on our busy A&Es, mental health crisis assessment centres can speed up access to appropriate care, offering people the help they need much sooner so they can stay out of hospital.' It is hoped the units will help ease the escalating waiting times in non-specialist A&E departments. At least 5,260 A&E patients experiencing a mental health crisis last year were forced to wait more than 12 hours for a bed after a decision was made to admit them. That figure has grown from about 1,000 in 2019, according to research from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). In the research published last month, nurses claimed patients were subjected to the 'torture' of waiting up to three days in 'utterly degrading' conditions in A&E for a bed in mental health wards. Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, said it was 'a scandal in plain sight'. Claire Murdoch, the NHS national director for mental health, said she hoped the new units would help keep people out of hospital and in work.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
NHS plan to open 'calm and welcoming' mental health A&Es across England to ease pressure on 'chaotic' major hospitals
The NHS is planning to open a network of 'calm and welcoming' mental health A&Es across England to treat patients who are in crisis. The specialist units will be offer around the clock care to relieve pressure on already overcrowded hospitals and emergency services. Around 250,000 people went to A&E last year due to a mental health crisis - with around a quarter facing a wait of 12 hours or longer. It comes as lengthy delays and the so-called 'corridor care' crisis at major hospitals have been linked to thousands of avoidable deaths. Doctors and nurses at the new mental health A&Es will support patients who are either suicidal or experiencing symptoms such as psychosis or mania. People will be able to 'walk-in' to the centres or be referred by either their GP or the police. The A&Es will be designed to provide a 'calm and caring environment', rather than the 'noise and chaos' of busy trauma centres, it has been reported. For example, one unit which has already opened in Ladbroke Grove, west London, has two 'emotional support dogs' that cuddle up to patients. Fresh fruit, biscuits, tea and coffee and other refreshments are also laid out for people who come in. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, told The Times: 'Crowded A&Es are not designed to treat people in mental health crisis. 'We need to do better, which is why we are pioneering a new model of care where patients get the right support in the right setting. 'As well as relieving pressure on our busy A&Es, mental health crisis assessment centres can speed up access to appropriate care, offering people the help they need much sooner so they can stay out of hospital.' Separate mental health A&Es have already been introduced by ten NHS trusts - with the scheme set to be expanded in the next decade by the Labour government. It comes as UK public services have been struggling to cope with a rise in demand from people suffering from mental health issues. And last year, the Met Police said it would stopping attending mental health-linked emergency calls unless there is a threat to life. The move is designed to free up officers to spend more time on their core roles, rather than dealing with patients in need of medical help from experts. But serious concerns were raised about what the policy change could mean for vulnerable individuals and whether it will prove practical on the ground. A Met spokesperson said that the force needed to 'redress the imbalance of responsibility', noting the considerable amount of time taken up by such incidents. Humberside Police introduced a similar policy, known as Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) in 2020, with mental health professionals dealing with calls.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Mental health A&E units to open across England where patients can be seen in 10 minutes
The NHS is opening a network of mental health A&Es across England to relieve pressure on hospitals amid the ongoing 'corridor care' crisis. These units will be staffed with specialist doctors and nurses to provide 24/7 support for patients feeling suicidal or experiencing symptoms such as psychosis or mania, NHS England confirmed. Patients will be able to walk in or be referred by GP and the police to these units, designed to be a 'calm and welcoming' environment in contrast to the 'noise and chaos' of hospitals. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, said 'Crowded A&Es are not designed to treat people in mental health crisis. We need to do better, which is why we are pioneering a new model of care where patients get the right support in the right setting. 'As well as relieving pressure on our busy A&Es, mental health crisis assessment centres can speed up access to appropriate care, offering people the help they need much sooner so they can stay out of hospital.' The mental health A&Es hope to relieve pressure on overcrowded hospitals as the 'corridor care' crisis ensues. Last year, 250,000 people went to A&E experiencing mental health crises, with one in three waiting more than 12 hours. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) estimated around 320 patients a week may have died in England last year due to excessive waits for hospital beds in A&E departments. Already, 10 NHS trusts have launched separate units for mental health crises, some on sites alongside existing A&E units, but the scheme is expected to be expanded nationally to dozens of locations as part of the 10 year NHS plan set to be published this summer by the government. Ladbroke Grove, west London, is home to one of the first new mental health units being rolled out by the NHS. The unit, run by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL), is staffed by a team of mental health nurses, doctors and healthcare assistants round the clock. Mental health nurse Toti Freysson, who manages the service, told The Times: 'Anybody who walks in is seen by a mental health specialist within 10 minutes.' 'Normally in A&E they would have to wait for hours, surrounded by the noise and the chaos. Most of the people we see have suicidal thoughts. Here, they can come in and sit with their families. We are able to intervene early and link them up with treatment in the community. It means we can get them home much sooner. The new services include a 'full and holistic assessment' of a patient's mental health needs, hoping to address the root causes of a crisis. The unit's deputy head of urgent care, Selena Cox, told The Times that staff make sure that patients have a plan, of action going forward. This may involve connecting them to local charities to tackle homelessness, debt or addiction issues, or arranging home treatment team visits. The Metropolitan Police, the country's largest force, said in 2023 its officers would not attend mental health call-outs where a healthcare professional is more appropriate. Claire Murdoch, the NHS national director for mental health, told the newspaper: 'I would certainly hope to see these mental health A&Es across the country over the next decade.'
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
NHS England chief rules out big rise in health service funding
Ministers have 'maxed out' the amount of money they can give the NHS and it will no longer get big increases in its funding because of tight public finances, the health service's new boss in England has said. Sir Jim Mackey, who took over as NHS England's chief executive last month, said the state of the public finances meant the country could no longer afford big increases in spending. 'We are pretty much maxed out on what's affordable. It is really now about [the NHS] delivering better value for money, getting more change, delivering on getting back to reasonable productivity levels,' said Mackey, who replaced Amanda Pritchard. 'The financial thing is always with us [in the NHS]. There's never enough money for healthcare. The NHS is such a big part of public spending now.' His comments came in a speech to health journalists and a question and answer session at an event in London on Thursday organised by the Medical Journalists' Association. The remarks by Mackey – an accountant before he joined the NHS – could indicate that the health service will not receive a substantial increase in next month's comprehensive spending review. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, will unveil the review – setting out government spending for the three years between 2026-27 and 2029-30 – on 11 June. In her first budget last October she gave the NHS in England an extra £22bn for 2024-25 and the current financial year. Mackey's realism about the NHS's funding prospects may also foreshadow the amount of money the NHS has to fulfil ambitious plans to overhaul the service that will be outlined in the government's impending 10-year health plan. The document, which is being drawn up by a team of advisers to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, is expected to be published in early July, close to the 77th anniversary of the creation of the NHS in 1948 by the postwar Labour government. Mackey also defended the cuts to the budgets of the NHS's 215 trusts, which senior figures warned on Friday were 'eye-watering' and would lead to service closures and cuts to staffing. They are the result of a brutal 'financial reset' for the service that he ordered in March. Without such tough action the NHS was likely to overspend by £6.6bn this year, despite its budget being about £200bn, Mackey told the MJA. '[There was] the shock that that was creating [in Whitehall], the worry that was creating, [and] the anxiety about what that meant for the economy, and [with] the international instability that we've got, what it meant for broader society.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion He also warned NHS leaders that while they obsess about the financial restraints within which they work, the plunge in public satisfaction with the service should be their primary concern. Only 21% of people are satisfied with the NHS, the latest British Social Attitudes survey revealed last month. Mackey added: 'The thing we should all really bother about is the British Social Attitudes survey in all of this. It was really terrible last year [when satisfaction was 23%]. We all thought we'd bottomed out, and then it got worse in the latest one. So that was a really big shock; a really big sign that we're in danger of losing that connection with the public. [That] we'll lose that properly. We are in really serious trouble.' Mackey also made clear he disagreed with Streeting's routine description of the NHS as 'broken' due to its inability to be able to continue provide prompt care due to years of neglect under the Conservatives. Mackey countered that while 'it's very, very easy to generalise that this is all broken and failed', in his view the service 'is still delivering genuinely world-class care', although there was a worryingly wide – and 'completely unacceptable' – variation in the quality of care patients received.
