South Wales Central

Action Planned (AI summary) Digital Health and Care Wales is developing a business case for the introduction and deployment of mental health systems across health boards in NHS Wales, with a phased approach anticipated over a number of years. The Welsh government is also working to improve discharge arrangements and the quality of care and treatment planning through a Strategic Mental Health Programme and a Mental Health Patient Safety Programme. CTMUHB has made a dedicated psychological professional available for direct assessment and treatment in all three CRHTTs, eliminating the waiting list. They also contact people on the waiting list for psychological therapies in Local Primary Mental Health Support Services after two weeks and 6 months of waiting, using CORE-10 to monitor and escalate changes in clinical presentation or risk.

Action Planned (AI summary) The Welsh Government is focusing on improvements within several wards across health boards in Wales, including Ward F at Neath Port Talbot Hospital, setting national standards for risk assessment and discharge planning, and will monitor related metrics at regular intervals through UHB meetings. The council will continue to work with Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) to ensure mental health professionals who require access to the WCCIS system are granted access, and discussions are underway to ensure patient clinical notes are available across relevant systems accessed by both organisations. Swansea Bay University Health Board has implemented anti-ligature training, updated its observation policy, created a new assessment tool for environmental risks, established a process to review patients who do not attend appointments, and implemented a monthly monitoring system for Assertive Outreach Team referrals. The health board is reminding all clinical staff to ensure care plans are placed at the front of clinical notes or on the digital front page in WCCIS, and that plans are shared directly with relevant team members.

Action Planned (AI summary) Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust is not planning further action on ambulance delays, but highlights work to reduce patient harm from pressure damage including a new device. The Trust is finalising steps before beginning a pilot of the new mattress. Swansea Bay University Health Board is working on several initiatives to address access to emergency care and falls prevention, including reviewing referral processes, working with the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to improve response times, implementing a digital application for non-injurious falls, utilizing the "Dance to Health" program, introducing a Podcast Series, and implementing an Intergenerational Falls Prevention Programme.

Action Planned (AI summary) The Welsh government outlines its overall management strategy to support improvement in ambulance patient handover performance and describes funding and monitoring processes. A new NHS Joint Commissioning Committee was established on 1 April 2024 and now has responsibility for planning and securing emergency ambulance services.

Action Planned (AI summary) The Welsh Ambulance Service is reviewing and changing its Emergency Medical Dispatcher call script to ensure callers are appropriately advised on when to call back. A support role for dispatch will be created to undertake welfare calls and technology is being explored to ensure provision of welfare calls to patients waiting in the community.

Action Planned (AI summary) Cardiff and Vale UHB will monitor and implement an assurance plan to completion through the Children and Women Clinical Board assurance framework, to address issues around health visitor communication regarding safe sleeping practices and visual assessment of sleeping areas.

Action Planned (AI summary) Swansea Bay University Health Board will develop an explicit clinical management plan to address clinical issues throughout a patient's treatment, to be changed on a multi-professional basis. They will remind staff prescribing medications to select the correct drug and report adverse reactions and have reported the death nationally via the "Yellow Card" scheme.

Action Planned (AI summary) For Swansea based teams, technical changes to enable two-way information sharing between community mental health teams and drug and alcohol services via WCCIS will be completed within 10 working days, commencing 7th August 2023. For NPT based teams, access to WCCIS on a read-only basis will be extended, with implementation planned from 4th September 2023.

Action Planned (AI summary) Natural Resources Wales is commissioning a report from an independent expert concerning visitor safety management including signage in Waterfall Country. Pending the report, semi-permanent signs are being erected at various locations in Waterfall Country. The council acknowledges concerns and will consider signage at the site, undertaking a signage review and implementing necessary actions. The Neath Port Talbot website has been updated to advise individuals of potential risks involved and signs will be erected to advise individuals of unpredictable water flow.

Action Planned (AI summary) HM Prison and Probation Services is drafting a new HMPPS Policy Framework, updating the policy for prisons to follow in the event of a death in custody, including guidance to ensure that staff who have relevant information are identified and prompted to make a record of this at an early stage.

Action Planned (AI summary) Merthyr Tydfil Council disputes the coroner's concern about visibility at the junction. However, they state that planned road layout changes as part of the Welsh Governments A465 dualling project will remove the bridge/parapet obstruction, and the Gurnos Ring Road will become 20mph in September 2023.

Action Planned (AI summary) The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust is considering a specific question set within the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) to identify propranolol overdoses, and has an existing Standard Operating Procedure for flagging overdose cases to dispatchers. The trust is also proposing further actions outlined in an attached plan.