Councillors to quiz health board over adult and youth mental health services and prostate cancer scans

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board representatives will tomorrow face questions over youth mental health services and the provision of MP MRI scans for prostate cancer.

The six-monthly meeting between BCUHB and members of Wrexham Council’s safeguarding, communities and wellbeing scrutiny committee will also see an update on the board’s progress with its mental health strategy.

The plan itself is set to be delivered over a three year period, with key outcomes including the improvement of physical, emotional and mental health and well-being for all and to target the health board’s resources to those with the greatest needs and reduce inequalities.

By the end of the three year period it is hoped that services in primary care and third sector will be developed to “manage most common mental health problems” – along with the “development of resources wit and for universal services to promote public mental health and wellbeing”.

The report notes: “It was recognised at the development stage of the strategy how important it was to work with wider partners in order to deliver the improved outcomes for the population
of North Wales.

“This has been a key driver in the overall approach to the strategy and the implementation of the delivery plan.

“The year one priority to eliminate all clinically unjustified out of area placements for mental health was expanded by the partners to become, changes to the way crisis and unscheduled care in mental health is managed.

“This priority has involved all groups considering what they need to be doing to drive the changes needed.”

Representatives will also face questions over Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS) waiting times.

The service itself in the eastern area of north Wales is divided between teams in Wrexham and Flintshire – with services including youth justice, substance misuse service, early years pathway, child health psychology, unscheduled care pathway and transitions.

Locally the report explains that approximately 400 children in Wrexham are seen by the service’s Early Intervention and Prevention pathway (EIPS) each year.

The provision of MP-MRI scans for prostate cancer in North Wales will also be up for debate.

Earlier this year North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood called on the health secretary to address the ‘postcode lottery’ which is denying men in North Wales access to a new scanner for Prostate cancer that is available free in South Wales and England.

A document due before councillors this week explains that the Wrexham Maelor Hospital took part in a PROMIS Trial to establish the evidence for the MP-MRI between April 2014 and October 2015.

The document continues onto say: “During this time, two other health boards in South Wales piloted schemes to gather further evidence on the use of partial and full MP-MRI.

“The evidence from these, and other, studies is being assessed by NICE and we expect that they will be updating their guidance later this year.

“Once the expected update is received, if the use of full diagnostic MP MRI’s (before initial biopsy) are endorsed in appropriate patients, the Health Board will be developing the necessary business cases to evaluate the significant impact on staffing, radiological equipment, and development of staff members in order to provide the recommended MP-MRI for the patients of North Wales.

“In preparation the Health Board is currently drafting a preliminary business case examining the impact of the introduction of MP-MRI.”

You can view the documents ahead of tomorrow’s meeting on the council’s website here.