As a Trust serving people with complex physical, mental health, addictions and social needs, Mersey Care cannot improve the quality of our health services without taking into account the wider issues which impact on health and wellbeing. This will include work, income, housing, communities and connections to other people and groups. To do this, we must work in a better way with our partners to make a real difference and by taking a population health management approach we can reduce unfair and unjust differences in access and outcomes for the communities we serve.
Population health management is a theme of Mersey Care’s long term strategy. By looking at our communities and the recurring problems or at groups which need the same treatment, we can look at the best way to intervene and provide help quicker and more efficiently.
This approach will help us understand people’s needs so we can develop services that predict, prevent and tailor better care and support. We will be able to take action to reduce unfair and unjust health differences and make every contact count across all our services.
Mersey Care also offers support to promote good health and wellbeing and prevent ill health through our Life Rooms and working in partnership with the voluntary sector and local GPs.
- On average, men and women within the Mid Mersey area who are in contact with mental health services have a life expectancy 17 and 15 years less than the rest of the population
- Male and Female mental health patients and service users are between two and four times more likely to die from cancers, circulatory disease and respiratory diseases than the rest of the population
- 51 percent of mental health patients and service users within the Mid Mersey area live in the most deprived areas and only nine percent within the least deprived
- Rates of emergency hospital admissions are three times higher among mental health patients and service users than the rest of the population.
- On average men and women within Mid Mersey who are in contact with mental health services have a life expectancy 20 and 16 years less than the rest of the population
- Male and female mental health patients and service users are between two and four times more likely to die from cancers, circulatory disease and respiratory diseases than the rest of the population
- Within the Merseyside area five percent of mental health patients and service users live in the most deprived area and only three percent within the least deprived
- Rates of emergency hospital admissions are three times higher among mental health service users than the rest of the population.
Overview of our population health activities and programmes:
Mersey Care is using data and intelligence to understand our population health needs and design services which intervene earlier to improve access to care, outcomes and the overall patient experience.
Examples of our population health projects:
- Population health review of children and young people’s mental health services: Population health analytics that are designed to inform both population level planning and targeting of direct care and identification of unmet needs and forecasting future demand. It is envisaged this information will support the development of new models of care which will improve outcomes for children and young people within Cheshire and Merseyside
- Telehealth and community respiratory integration: Mersey Care is one of the largest providers of Telehealth nationally. A mathematical modelling technique (System Dynamics) is used to frame, understand, and discuss complex issues and problems. The Trust will be able to better understand our patients and support wider access to the telehealth service from other NHS hospitals.
System P
Mersey Care is the host of the Cheshire and Merseyside System P programme (System P). It aims to help our partners providing health, social care and wider support to share knowledge, learn from it and then work together to provide care more effectively. Through the use of data, analytics and by linking what we know and analysing it with artificial intelligence (AI) we can spot gaps, overlaps and highlight opportunities to make small changes to the system which will improve the health of our many and diverse communities.
These projects aim to improve the quality and safety for our patients and service users and the population of Cheshire and Merseyside by tackling some of the fragmentation and unmet needs within our population.
The Life Rooms
The Life Rooms aims to help improve your mental and physical wellbeing. Whatever the issue, from housing and employment to lifestyle or exercise. We’re here when you’re ready to take your next steps towards a healthier life. Find out more on The Life Rooms website.
Mersey Care has signed up to the NHS prevention pledge
https://www.cheshireandmerseysidepartnership.co.uk/our-work/population-health/