BackgroundCommunity mental health services in the UK have struggled to measure the clinical effectiveness of their services.AimsTo measure clinical outcomes for different diagnostic clusters.MethodClinicians measure the clinical status of patients by the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS), and HoNOS scores should be recorded annually after treatment. Clinical outcomes were measured by changes in HoNOS for diagnostic clusters.ResultsIn two time periods (2014 and 2016), the health of patients with mild to moderate common mental disorders deteriorated after intervention. Patients with severe common mental disorders and psychoses improved in their clinical status.ConclusionsBritish community mental health teams may be effective in improving the clinical status of people with severe mental illness, but may have a negative effect on people with mild to moderate illnesses. These teams need to focus on the severely mentally ill and build on this demonstrable effectiveness.Declaration of interestNone.
We looked to evaluate the reporting pathways and statistics between relevant stakeholders for reporting suicides and undetermined deaths in Cornwall. We checked on the correlation of the numbers provided for suicides and open verdicts given by different national and regional agencies including the local Coroner's office, Office of National Statistics (ONS), Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust (CPT) and The National Confidential Inquiry (NCI) into suicides for Cornwall. We examined the data of suicides and open verdicts presented by these agencies between the years 2000 and 2002. Our study shows that the data transfer between the relevant agencies (local Coroner, ONS, CPT and NCI) can be inaccurate. These inaccuracies not only prevent establishment of clear records but could also impact on policy decisions. It is also important to recognize that NHS trusts involved in mental health are being evaluated on their record on suicide prevention which in some senses is the most important outcome measure, thus making it important for inspecting bodies to look out for and take account of different figures from different agencies.
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