Transforming mental healthcare

A pioneering project, which integrates mental health care and policing on the Isle of Wight, has scooped two prestigious national healthcare awards.

The Serenity Integrated Mentoring (SIM) project - run by Hampshire Constabulary and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, and supported by Wessex Academic Health Science Network (WAHSN) - aims to bring together policing and healthcare skills to achieve a positive difference to the lives of mental health patients and their families.

The project won in both the Clinical Support Services and Mental Health categories at the Value in Healthcare Awards. It was further highly commended in a third category - Workforce Efficiency – and was shortlisted in another - Managing Long Term Conditions.

One judge commented: “The judges felt that the team has identified a clear gap and put in a simple, cross boundary system building on what was already good practice. The result has been significant across both patient experience and financial impact, with a replicable solution.”

Another said: “We were blown away by the real impact on people's lives, families and communities. They started small and are now exemplars sharing their work across the UK and worldwide.”

Alastair McLennan, Editor of Health Service Journal which hosted the awards, added: “These awards are dedicated to the dominating challenge facing the NHS – how to improve care quality and efficiency within a tightening financial budget. I’d argue that the work we celebrate here offers the best chance for the NHS to meet Simon Steven’s definition of success during the next two years, which was to deliver on the 10-point efficiency plan included in the next steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View. On that basis he should feel very encouraged”.