February 2022

We are trying to reach everyone living with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) to promote getting their annual physical health check.  So far only 26% of patients have received all 6 elements of their health check (as at January 2022).   We appreciate delivery of these health checks may have plateaued because of Covid and the impact this has had on our workforce, but we have to ask for one more push in getting every patient with an SMI to have their health check as urgently as possible.  

As you no doubt already know, people with SMI are at a greater risk of poor physical health and, on average, die 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population.   It’s estimated that 2 in 3 of those deaths are from physical illnesses that can be prevented, for example cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes etc.

Severe mental ill health, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can have a devastating impact on individuals and their families. If people with severe mental ill health receive their annual health check, it can go a long way in preventing those illnesses from becoming more serious resulting in better health and wellbeing with fewer hospital admissions and A&E attendances.

We are asking if you could please spare a minute to consider your patients and the people you know that that live with serious mental illness and query whether they are registered with their GP as living with a SMI or if they have had their annual health check.  Some patients may not even be aware that they are entitled to this vital annual health check, in which case a leaflet is attached for you which can be shared with them to explain how important it is for them to have an annual health check.

If you would like anything more than this leaflet or would like this leaflet amending in some way to suit and support your conversations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Katie Faherty, k.faherty@nhs.net, and we will do our best to support you.

This full day event will provide valuable insights into how personalisation supports us all in meeting future challenges whilst also acknowledging the excellent work that is happening right now in Lincolnshire.

• There will be a range of interactive workshops on the day.
• Listen to Andy Walker MBE, a motivational speaker, talk about his personal story and how personalised care has changed his life;
• Hear from Tommy Whitelaw, National Lead for Carers and Outreach from Alliance Scotland, on his personal experience of caring for his mother, the challenges he faced and how the What Matters To Me campaign began;
• Find out more from Alex Fox OBE, CEO of Mayday Trust and author of Escaping the Invisible Asylum, on the importance of asset based thinking and working with people and communities to learn from their experience.

This conference serves to kick-start our conversation on the long-term shift that is Personalisation. It’s your space to share your experiences; to tell us what you need for personalisation to be successfully embedded in the system and to learn from the success and challenges of others.

To register your interest in attending this full day event, please email leccg.stp@nhs.net with your name, organisation and job title. To ensure Covid safety, places are limited. For more information visit Upcoming Events :: Lincolnshire STP (itsallaboutpeople.info)

LSAB and LSCP voluntary sector briefing session – 16 March 2022

The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board and Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership are holding a free virtual briefing session on 16 March 2022, for voluntary and third sector safeguarding leads. Content will include a presentation from Wellbeing Lincs, and also advice from Early Help Consultants about Team Around the Child. If you work with the voluntary sector, please promote this session to them and ask them to find out more by emailing: LSCP@lincolnshire.gov.uk.