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Guidance published on individual placement and support for severe mental illness

NHS England guidance for integrated care systems on how individual placement and support should be embedded within integrated models of primary and community services for patients with severe mental illness has been published. The implementation of IPS has been part of the NHS Long Term Plan and preceding strategies for national mental health improvement for over eight years and is a fundamental part of the ongoing transformation of community mental health services.

NHS England » Individual placement and support for severe mental illness

Quality Improvement bulletin available

The latest Quality Improvement bulletin produced by the NHS Somerset Foundation Trust Library and Knowledge Service is available. If you need help with accessing any of the articles included in it please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.

QI Evidence Monthly updates (including COVID-19 Evidence) | Fab NHS Stuff

Almshouse living can add to an extra two and a half years of life, report finds

A report from the Bayes Business School says the longevity of those who move into one of the UK’s 30,000 almshouses – the oldest form of social housing – is boosted by as much as two and a half years.

Given that residents typically move into almshouses in their early 70s, this is equivalent to an extra 15 per cent of future life.

Almshouses are a charitable form of self-sufficient, low-cost community housing held in trust for local people in housing need. They are managed and run by almshouse charities made up of local volunteers. Almshouses usually encourage residents to take part in social activities and have responsibilities for fellow residents, increasing their sense of belonging, giving them a greater sense of purpose and reducing isolation.

Residents pay rent, usually called a maintenance contribution, which is often less than the average rent in local properties rented from a council, housing association or private landlord.

Almshouse-Longevity-Study-Report.pdf (city.ac.uk)

Call for mental health evidence

A call for evidence has been launched by the DHSC to invite views on how best to prevent, early diagnose, treat and manage the six major groups of conditions that drive ill health and contribute to the burden of disease in the population in England. The six major health conditions – cancer; cardiovascular diseases including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal disorders – affect millions of people in England, with data showing that one in four suffer from two or more of these major long-term conditions. The closing date for comments is 27 June 2023.

The call for evidence was originally intended to inform two individual plans: a mental health and wellbeing plan and a separate suicide prevention strategy. The decision has since been taken to incorporate tackling mental ill health into a major conditions strategy instead of a standalone mental health strategy. This aims to ensure that mental ill health is considered alongside other physical health conditions and that the interactions between them are reflected in any resulting commitments.

Major conditions strategy: call for evidence – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Mental health and wellbeing plan: discussion paper and call for evidence – results – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)