Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a web based ‘one stop shop’ for children and young people in the Liverpool and Sefton area with mental health issues.
It has rolled out the platform, developed with Healthcare Communications and Mindwave Ventures, across 13 organisations and three integrated care systems.
It provides a single point of access for support and resources in managing mental health through the Liverpool CAMHS and Sefton CAMHS websites.
The first phase of the project involved the development of the platform’s referral system, which enables users to interact with a service through a consistent referral form and a unique identification code. When a referral is made, it is triaged by a multi-disciplinary team at Alder Hey within 24 hours.
It integrates with two different electronic patient records and enables an automated transfer of referrals.
Alder Hey has estimated that the new platform will release over 1,600 hours per year, saving the organisations a combined total of more than £21,000, whilst also reducing the potential for human error.
Minimising stress
The hospital’s deputy director of innovation, Emma Hughes, said: “By consolidating our mental health support onto one platform, with a single point of access, we are pleased to have been able to streamline access to our services and minimise the stress faced by children, young people and their families during a time of crisis.
“Throughout the Covid–19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in the number of young people accessing mental health services. Thankfully, we can now make better use of our resources, while improving the quality of support we provide through efficient referral processes, and access to apps, information and videos at the point of referral.
“We are now looking at ways of expanding our service offering across the entire pathway.”
As part of the next phase on the project, Healthcare Communications is developing an eating disorder speciality service, providing patents with the opportunity to rebook appointments.
The project has been used as a blueprint for how children and young people’s mental health services should be delivered nationwide, and Alder Hey is in talks with a number trusts and integrated care systems considering a similar approach.
