What do people want from the NHS in the next ten years and how the psychological professions can help
“Put People First”
It is now eight weeks on since the launch of the National Vision for the Psychological Professions at the conference. To read about Day One of Psychological Professions Week, click here. To watch any session from the conference, click here. More than 3,300 people took part, but to share the learning even more widely, we will be releasing a series of blogs over coming weeks, each describing one of the conference keynotes, which was linked to one of the commitments in the Vision.
Day Two of #PsychologicalProfessionsWeek was tied to the commitment ‘Put People First’, and what better way to do that, than to hear from Laura Lea, National Lead for Experts by Experience, Amy Harris and Karin Webb, Expert by Experience Consultants within the PPN SE, discussing the results of the HealthWatch report “what people want from the next ten years of the NHS”, which included the views of over 40,000 people. The session was introduced by Claire Murdoch, National Director of Mental Health at NHS England. Claire re-stated her commitment to the psychological professions and to finding ways to deliver real expansion in these professions on the ground, which is one way of responding to what people want from the NHS.
Here's what three Experts by Experience had to say about their experience of presenting:
Karin Webb: When I was invited to talk about my lived experiences as a former carer at Psychological Professionals Week, I thought it sounded like a good idea at the time. When I subsequently found it may be being broadcast to hundreds of people I began to wonder what I had let myself in for! I initially found it quite nerve-wracking, however, on the day it all went well.
I wanted to convey the message that carers are often overlooked and need to be seen as people too, and to be more included in the care and treatment proposed for their loved ones, as well as being offered access to psychological services if required.
There are still a lot of people unable to gain access to psychological healthcare. Although things are progressing, I feel there is still a long way to go.
Amy Harris: Presenting my experiences and personal knowledge about mental health care within the NHS was always going to be a rewarding experience for me. Explaining and signifying the integration of the healthcare services and how this has personally served me was a way for me to, in some way, give back to these services.
I also wanted it to be a way to show the significant impact people who work in mental health have in ways they might not get to see in the day-to-day executions of their roles.
I am Laura Lea, National Lead for Expert by Experience Involvement for the National Psychological Professions Workforce Group. I presented some of the findings of the Health Watch report.
Health Watch involved over 40 000 people. What did they find? Some of the basics seem not to be in place: young people wanted respect and people with dementia wanted to be treated as whole people, people with learning disabilities wanted information to help them make decisions. In fact, holistic care, joined up care and care that provides information so that people can look after themselves were some of the key messages. For psychological professionals the findings imply thinking more widely to including where they aren’t already family and carers, so they don't feel ignored.
Big reports can sometimes be forgotten. What this report says is think about prevention, provide care together with other professionals, include carers and to paraphrase and perhaps extend what is implied, never forget our unique humanity and therefore the unique help that each one of us needs to begin to find a path on which travel through our difficulties.
To read the "Health Watch and what people want from the next ten years of the NHS" report, click here.
We want to invite you to take part too! Help make the Vision a reality and tell the world what you are doing to "Put People First". Simply tweet with a picture and #PsychologicalProfessionsIntoAction, showing what the psychological professions are doing where you are, to live up to these commitments, or submit a blog to our website to showcase the work that's going on in your team, area or Trust.
Brad Powell, Senior Assistant Psychologist, PPN South East