Ministry of Defence
Central Government• The Ministry of Defence stated it is updating its medical policy document (JSP 950, leaflet 2-7-2) to include new guidance on transfer principles and clarification of primary responsibility for individuals. • The updated leaflet will also include guidance on Service Personnel entitlement to NHS services, inter-agency liaison, information sharing, and how NHS providers can access advice from Defence Medical Services. • The Ministry of Defence has become a signatory to the Mental Healthcare Crisis Concordat and indicated it would seek to improve joint working with NHS providers.
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Medical Information (as defined at Annex A) is collected directly from the individual who is presenting to clinician within the Defence Medical Facility, the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) or other clinical setting: If it is deemed pertinent by the individual concerned or the clinician the individuals significant other will also be invited to take part in the assessmentlreview as well as all other relevant information (referral letter; discharge letter; medical reports): The Chain of Command are also included in the gathering of information either by them providing information to the GPIMedical Officer or the Commanding Officer being requested to provide an official occupational report to the mental health specialist: At each assessmentlreview the safeguarding of the individual and others are assessed, considered and reported upon in reports and clinical notes: The findings of which are consolidated into the individual's Defence Health Record. When information needs to be shared internally or externally; the mode of transfer is dependent upon the urgency and associated risk The following modes of transfer are used to convey information between agencies in descending levels of risk: in Person b_ telephone followed by an electronic report to the identified clinician E-mail ensuring Caldicott Principles are observed d_ Letter can confirm that we are now updating leaflet 2-7-2 of the Department's medical policy document (Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950) which covers the provision and management of Defence mental health services: This will include new guidance and policy on the principles of transfer; which will include addressing both internal transfers of care between different Defence Medical Services (DMS) care providers and the transfers between DMS providers and external agencies The updated leaflet will also set-out clearly who has the primary responsibility of an individual; To summarise , this will state that the responsibility of the patient remains with their current clinician until the care of that individual is officially transferred to the care of another clinician who will be taking over their care In general, this will mean that the responsibility for a patient will be retained by any referring clinician until the receiving clinician has seen the patient; or has specifically communicated their acceptance of responsibility to the referrer: This addition to JSP 950 Leaflet 2-7-2 will also include guidance on: Entitlement of Service Personnel to NHS services The need for DCMHs to liaise with local NHS services to promote good working relationships
Information NHS services ideally require in order to provide care for Service Personnel The need for DMS facilities to be informed about NHS care provided to Service Personnel How NHS care providers can access advice from DMS about occupational or other military specific issues Annex A to JSP 950 leaflet 2-7-2 also outlines the provision of out of hours Defence mental health services by an on-call Service Liaison Officer The Service Liaison Officer offers out of hours telephone advice 365 days a year and is to provide:
a. administrativelprocedural advice to clinical staff wanting to admit a patient into an in-patient service (e.g. at an NHS hospital):
b. alternative case-management options, including arranging urgent appointments at the individuals local DCMH the next working an accurate log of actions taken during the out of hours period and to pass this information to the patient's unit; local DCMH, Medical OfficerIGP andlor in-patient service the next working day: It should be noted that the Service Liaison Officer Service is not a clinical one_ The on duty SLO is not expected to carry out an assessment or take responsibility for someone in crisis or discharged from hospital: The Ministry of Defence has recently become a signatory to the Mental Healthcare Crisis Concordat: This means the Defence Medical Services will engage with the aims of the Concordat to improve care for those in mental health crisis, and in particular the MOD will seek to improve joint working with NHS providers hope that my response adequately explains the steps my Department has taken to address your concerns: ~inle~ ANNA SOUBRY day