appendix 7

HERTFORDSHIRE CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE CHANGES 2006-7

Consultation Activity Report to 7 April 2006

1Purpose of this report

Consultation on proposed changes to mental health services in Hertfordshire commenced on Monday 20 March and is due to complete on Wednesday 3 May 2006.

This report is intended to give an overview of the amount and scope of consultation activity that has taken place in the first half of the consultation period. It is not intended to give an overview of emerging themes or views expressed at this stage of the consultation.

2Summary of consultation activity to date

The consultation process is being carried out by:

  • Dacorum & Watford and Three Rivers PCTs (the lead PCTs)
  • North Herts and Stevenage & Welwyn and Hatfield PCTs
  • St Albans and Harpenden & Hertsmere PCTs
  • South East Herts & Royston, Buntingford and Bishops Stortford PCTs

Due to the nature of the service changes proposed, the objective is to focus effective communications on the key interest groups identified for Investing in Your Mental Health and other identified existing groups. However wide communication of the consultation is also being carried out to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute.

3Consultation material

  • Full consultation document - 34 pages including the consultation questionnaire
  • Consultation summary - 4 pages
  • Consultation questionnaire - 4 pages
  • "Easy read" leaflet - 2 pages (folded to A5)
  • Posters - A4 posters for display in a wide range of venues
  • Technical supporting documents - financial context document available in hard copy or to download from websites
  • Website - all consultation documents together with dates of public meetings are available on PCT websites.

4Public meetings

Eight public meetings have been arranged as follows:

  • Tuesday 4 April from 6-8pm at St Mary's and St Joseph's Parish Centre, 186a St John's Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
  • Tuesday 18 April from 2-4pm, Park Lounge, The Campus, Campus West, WelwynGarden City, Herts AL8 6BX
  • Wednesday 19 April 6.30-8.30pm, Hertsmere Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1WA
  • Tuesday 25 April from 12-2pm at Royalty House, 10 King Street, Watford
  • Tuesday 25 April from 2-4.30pm, Ware Priory, High Street, Herts, SG12 9AL
  • Tuesday 25 April from 6.30-8.30pm at Fowden Hall, Rothamsted Conference Centre, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ
  • Wednesday 26 April from 3.30-5.30pm, Solutions House, Dunhams Lane, Letchworth, Herts SG6 1BE
  • Tuesday 2 May from 2-4pm at Cedar Room, Rhodes Arts Complex, South Road, Bishop's Stortford.

The dates have been advertised widely on posters, in local newspapers, in press releases and on websites.

5Other meetings

Awareness of the consultation has been or will be raised at the following meetings:

  • 21st March: Herts Strategic Commissioning Group
  • 21st March: Hertfordshire County Council Carer/Member Group
  • 22nd March: Joint Workforce Development Forum
  • 22nd March: South East Herts/Royston Buntingford and Bishops Stortford Joint PCTs Board Meeting
  • 23rd March: Watford and Three Rivers Voluntary Sector Alliance
  • 25th March: Watford and Three Rivers Health Fair
  • 27th March: Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Steering Group
  • 27th March: Broxbourne Voluntary Sector Development Agency
  • 28th March: Dacorum and Watford and Three Rivers Carers Health Forum
  • 29th March: North Herts and Stevenage Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPIF)
  • 29th March: Hertfordshire Partnership Trust Board Meeting
  • 5th April: Welwyn and Hatfield Scrutiny Committee
  • 4th April: Welwyn and Hatfield Local Implementation Team (LIT) meeting
  • 4th April: Dacorum and Watford and Three Rivers Public Meeting
  • 4th April: St Albans and Hertsmere PCT Professional Executive Committee (PEC) meeting
  • 6th April: Hertsmere PPIF meeting
  • 6th April: County Carers Champions meeting
  • 10th April: Stevenage Survivors
  • 12th April: North Herts and Stevenage LIT meeting
  • 13th April: Welwyn and Hatfield PCT PPIF Meeting
  • 20th April: St Albans and Harpenden Board Meeting
  • 24th April: BME Launch Event
  • 26th April: Hertsmere Mental Health LIT
  • 26th April - St Albans and Harpenden GP Forum
  • 26th April: St Albans and Harpenden Overview and Scrutiny Meeting
  • 3rd May - St Albans and Harpenden Mental Health Local Implementation Team

The following meetings have been arranged specifically to discuss the consultation:

  • 4th April: Staff Consultation Seward Lodge
  • 5th April; Staff consultation meeting at ListerHospital
  • 26th April: Carers in Hertfordshire Carers Consultation meeting
  • 21st April: Abbots Langley Community Support Group

6Other consultation activities

3250 consultation documents have been distributed to groups such as countywide organisations (eg Carers in Herts, Viewpoint), patient groups, expert patient groups, carers, District Councillors, Councils of Voluntary Service, carers groups, local voluntary organisations, previous responders to Investing in Your Mental Health, MPs, general practice, optometrists, dentists, child and adolescent mental health services steering groups, local implementation teams, learning disability forums, mental health sub groups, Hertfordshire strategic commissioning groups, black and minority ethnic groups, residential homes, mental health implementation teams and staff.

In addition the Joint Commissioning Partnership Board agreed to contribute £1,000 towards a mailout carried out by Carers in Herts to carers on their database.

To date, 58 completed questionnaires have been returned. In addition 13 letters, emails and faxes have been received.

To date, 54 calls have been made to the telephone helpline - 01923 281679.

Extensive distribution of posters to publicise the public meetings.

All information has been sent to countywide Patient and Public Involvement Forums.

7Media activity

West / East/North / Countywide
Local newspaper press releases / 3 / 4
Radio station press releases / 2 / 2 / 1
Radio interviews / 3
Local newspaper articles / 3 / 3
Letters in local newspapers / 2
Press enquiries / 4 / 3
Adverts in local papers for public meetings / 6
National media enquiries / 1

8Conclusion

The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is asked to note the consultation activity undertaken to date.

As this document was prepared on 7 April, a verbal update on activity from 7 to 25 April will be provided at the meeting.

Rose ChildHeather Aylward

Head of CommunicationsHead of Patient and Public Involvement

Dacorum & Watford and Three Rivers PCTs

7 April 2006