ICBs have been told to consider health inequalities when designing urgent and emergency mental health care for children and young people, in new NHS England guidance.
The ‘supportive guidance’ on urgent and emergency mental health care for children and young people, published on Tuesday, called health inequalities a ‘persistent problem’. It said commissioners and providers should have a good understanding of how health inequalities impact their population, their needs and the barriers they face to healthcare.
It said to ensure the provision of equitable health access, commissioners should ‘ensure that all service design and implementation consider the local population’s needs, with particular focus on how those not currently reached by the service will be catered for’.
However, it noted that though the term ‘hard to reach’ is often used for those experiencing health inequalities, it can be ‘problematic’.
‘It implies these individuals avoid or do not try to access health services,’ it said. ‘A change in emphasis with the better term ‘populations not reached by our service’ encourages services to reflect on their role in addressing inequalities and take steps to reduce barriers to access.’
In particular, the document called on systems to look at how the services are meeting the needs of those with a learning disability or autism.
It said: ‘Within NHS England, there is a particular focus on meeting the needs of those with a learning disability or who are autistic and also have a mental health condition. They can experience multiple health inequalities, poor outcomes and very long lengths of stay in mental health hospitals.
‘Commissioners and providers should have a specific focus on ensuring all effective measures, including use of the dynamic support register and care, education and treatment reviews, are used to support autistic children and young people and those with a learning disability who may be at risk of admission to a mental health hospital to receive care and treatment in the community.’
The guidance called on systems to engage with local communities and neighbourhood leads to improve awareness of what was available locally, as well as engaging with data to adapt services and to consider ways of widening the diversity within the workforce so it ‘better reflects’ local communities.
The document also outlined the principles of care and partnership working in children’s mental healthcare.
It comes as children and young people in residential special schools with special educational needs and disabilities are to be offered free NHS eye, hearing and dental checks from next year.
