Forward ME Group Minutes – 5th December 2017

[Andy]

Guest speaker was Mrs Kathryn Pugh, Deputy Head of Mental Health, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Programme, NHS England.
http://www.meresearch.org.uk/news/forward-me-group-minutes-5th-december-2017/

 

[Valentijn]

Unsurprisingly, given her position, Pugh seems rather focused on ME in the context of mental health:

1. Tony Crouch referred to his experience of LA Social Services and shortages of staff. Ms Pugh agreed there was a need to train more nurses, LA staff and the voluntary sector to deal with children and young people’s mental [health?]. Most areas do not yet have, for example, dedicated 24 hour CYP crisis intervention cover.

3. Ms Pugh agreed that ME experts were needed but added that there were few of them. As with certain other conditions there was a need for evidence-based interventions. Referring to developments with NICE and ME, she drew a comparison with NICE guidance on self-harm. Practise in mental health services had now changed but NICE guidance had not caught up with this.

This is actually a really good suggestion:

7. Ms Pugh asked whether there were case studies that showed “return on investment” – for example that pushing these children back to school was counter-productive. If so they should be brought to the attention of commissioners – without waiting for the NICE guidance to change. The Chairman asked Tony Crouch whether this was something Jane Colby could do as she had details of a lot of such cases. Tony agreed to ask Jane.