Models of care in secure services for people with intellectual and developmental disability: Implementing the Walkway to Wellness.

BACKGROUND: Changes to policy around inpatient services for people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) who offend, have led to a need for services to reconsider their models of care. This has led to calls for more tailored, patient-centred care models, with less reliance solely on offence-related treatment programmes which can be unsuitable for a growing proportion of patients with more complex cognitive and behavioural difficulties. In response, the Walkway to Wellness (W2W) was developed at one National Health Service Trust providing secure services to people with IDD, with the intention of delivering a more collaborative, co-produced and goal-oriented care model that was better understood by staff and patient stakeholders. AIMS: To evaluate the implementation of the W2W using Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), an evidence-based theoretical approach is used across a number of health settings. METHODS: Staff were invited to complete a short questionnaire, using the NPT informed Normalisation Measure Development questionnaire, at two time points along the implementation process. Patients were invited to complete a simplified questionnaire. Both groups were asked for their views on the W2W and the process of its implementation. RESULTS: Although the W2W was more familiar to staff at the second time point, scores on the four NPT constructs showed a trend for it being less embedded in practice, with significant results concerning the ongoing appraisal of the new model. Patient views were mixed; some saw the benefit of more goal-oriented processes, but others considered it an additional chore hindering their own perceived goals. CONCLUSION: Early involvement of all stakeholders is required to enhance the understanding of changes to models of care. Live feedback should be used to refine and revise the model to meet the needs of patients, carers and staff members.

Offenders with mental disorders in prison and the courts: links to rates of civil detentions and the number of psychiatric beds in England - longitudinal data from 1984 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: The Mental Health Act in England and Wales allows for two types of detention in hospital: civil and forensic detentions. An association between the closure of mental illness beds and a rise in civil detentions has been reported. AIMS: To examine changes in the rate of court orders and transfer from prison to hospital for treatment, and explore associations with civil involuntary detentions, psychiatric bed numbers and the prison population. METHOD: Secondary analysis of routinely collected data with lagged time series analysis. We focused on two main types of forensic detentions in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and private units: prison transfers and court treatment orders in England from 1984 to 2016. NHS bed numbers only were available. RESULTS: There was an association between the number of psychiatric beds and the number of prison transfers. This was strongest at a time lag of 2 years with the change in psychiatric beds occurring first. There was an association between the rate of civil detentions and the rate of court orders. This was strongest at a time lag of 3 years. Linear regression indicated that 135 fewer psychiatric beds were associated with one additional transfer from prison to hospital; and as the rate of civil detentions increased by 72, the rate of court treatment orders fell by one. CONCLUSIONS: The closure of psychiatric beds was associated with an increase in transfers from prison to hospital for treatment. The increase in civil detentions was associated with a reduction in the rate of courts detaining to hospital individuals who had offended. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None.

Changes in the use of the Mental Health Act 1983 in England 1984/85 to 2015/16.

BACKGROUND: Concerns have been raised about the increase in the use of involuntary detentions under the Mental Health Act in England over a number of years, and whether this merits consideration of legislative change.AimsTo investigate changes in the rate of detentions under Part II (civil) and Part III (forensic) sections of the Mental Health Act in England between 1984 and 2016. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of data on involuntary detentions from the National Archives and NHS Digital. Rates per 100 000 population were calculated with percentage changes. The odds of being formally admitted to a National Health Service hospital compared with a private hospital were calculated for each year. RESULTS: Rates of detention have at least trebled since the 1980s and doubled since the 1990s. This has been because of a rise in Part II (civil) sections. Although the overall rate of detentions under Part III (forensic) sections did not rise, transfers from prison increased and detentions by the courts reduced. The odds of being detained in a private hospital increased fivefold. CONCLUSIONS: The move to community-based mental health services in England has paradoxically led to an increase in the number of people being detained in hospital each year, and in particular an inexorable rise in involuntary admissions. This is likely to be partly because of improved case finding with an increased focus on treatment and risk management, and partly because of changes in legislation. An increasing proportion of this government-funded care is being provided by private hospitals.Declaration of interestNone.