Department of Health and Social Care
Central Government
Noted
The Department acknowledges concerns over physical healthcare in mental health settings and compatibility of electronic patient records, noting expectations for the Trust's response and describing the use of shared care records in Greater Manchester. (AI summary)
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Dear Mr Morris,
Thank you for your Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths dated 21 July 2023 about the death of Corinne Haslam. I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for mental health and patient safety.
Firstly, I would like to say how saddened I was to read of the circumstances of Corinne’s death and I offer my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. The circumstances your report describes are concerning and I am grateful to you for bringing these matters to my attention. Please accept my sincere apologies for the significant delay in responding to this matter.
Your report raises concerns over the provision of physical healthcare in a mental health setting and the compatibility of electronic patient records.
I note that you have also addressed matters of concerns to the Chief Executive of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and I would expect the Trust’s response to address those issues.
In preparing this response, Departmental officials have made enquiries with NHS England.
It is recognised that people living with severe mental illness are dying 15-20 years younger than the general population, largely from preventable or treatable physical illnesses. In particular people living with SMI are at much greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is essential that mental health settings meet patients' physical as well as mental healthcare needs either through their own appropriately qualified and experienced staff or in partnership with other providers. This requires mental health inpatient staff to be provided with adequate training and guidance on monitoring physical health, and importantly how to escalate and respond to concerns as needed.
With regard to the compatibility of electronic patient records, a shared care record joins up information based on an individual rather than an organisation, and is a safe and secure way of bringing an individual’s separate records from different health and care organisations together.
As of 2021 all primary and secondary care organisations have been able to share a subset of the patient information they hold – the core information standard – between providers within their own integrated care board footprint. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust are connected to the local instance of their shared care record (known as Greater Manchester). Future plans include making shared care records link together regardless of where you live or receive care in England.
I hope this response is helpful. Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention.
Thank you for your Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths dated 21 July 2023 about the death of Corinne Haslam. I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for mental health and patient safety.
Firstly, I would like to say how saddened I was to read of the circumstances of Corinne’s death and I offer my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. The circumstances your report describes are concerning and I am grateful to you for bringing these matters to my attention. Please accept my sincere apologies for the significant delay in responding to this matter.
Your report raises concerns over the provision of physical healthcare in a mental health setting and the compatibility of electronic patient records.
I note that you have also addressed matters of concerns to the Chief Executive of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and I would expect the Trust’s response to address those issues.
In preparing this response, Departmental officials have made enquiries with NHS England.
It is recognised that people living with severe mental illness are dying 15-20 years younger than the general population, largely from preventable or treatable physical illnesses. In particular people living with SMI are at much greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is essential that mental health settings meet patients' physical as well as mental healthcare needs either through their own appropriately qualified and experienced staff or in partnership with other providers. This requires mental health inpatient staff to be provided with adequate training and guidance on monitoring physical health, and importantly how to escalate and respond to concerns as needed.
With regard to the compatibility of electronic patient records, a shared care record joins up information based on an individual rather than an organisation, and is a safe and secure way of bringing an individual’s separate records from different health and care organisations together.
As of 2021 all primary and secondary care organisations have been able to share a subset of the patient information they hold – the core information standard – between providers within their own integrated care board footprint. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust are connected to the local instance of their shared care record (known as Greater Manchester). Future plans include making shared care records link together regardless of where you live or receive care in England.
I hope this response is helpful. Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention.