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NHS Stoke on Trent - West Midlands SHA

Added: 19/02/2010
Updated: 05/11/2010


Key focus/scope

The Stoke on Trent pilot will focus on people with long term conditions, mental health issues and learning disabilities.

Long term conditions - a focus on diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The pilot will link closely with "Year of Care" work and six GP practices targeting diabetes patients; and link with the Social Care Physical Disabilities team on neurological conditions eg Multiple Sclerosis. Diabetes: forty people will be included in the evaluation; COPD: 25 people. Target of 250 by April 2012.

Mental health - a focus on people in receipt of or eligible for care co-ordination.

The PCT will working closely with its Integrated Mental Health Team and two 3rd sector support providers who specialise in mental health. Ten people will be included in the evaluation. Target of 250 by April 2012.

Learning disabilities - a focus on people with learning disabilities having support to access mainstream health provision as well as support specific to their learning disability. The pilot will link in with NHS Campus Reprovision Project and Social Care LD Transition Team. Target of 200 by April 2012.

Overview of pilot and its purpose

Stoke have been involved in developing self directed support since 2005, part of in Control projects Dynamite and Taking Control (joint projects between Children & Young People's Services and Adult Social Care & Health). Stoke was part of the first phase of Staying in Control. Self directed support in social care is now being taken forward under the joint Personalisation Programme between the health authority and local authority; this pilot will build on that work and in partnership with social care under the Programme.

The purpose of the pilot is to test how self directed support can be implemented within healthcare given that health is a universal service. The pilot aims to provide an effective means by which people are given choice and control over the health services and support they receive. By doing this as a means of personalising healthcare we aim to deliver better health outcomes.

Objectives of pilot

  • to establish a pilot programme involving people using personal health budgets
  • to make refinements to the pilot to ensure learning feeds into continuous improvement
  • to build up a body of evidence of what works and in what circumstances
  • to develop a personal health budgets system which will have a sustained impact in improving health outcomes
  • to successfully participate in the regional and national pilot programme.

This information has been provided by NHS Stoke on Trent