Community invited to have their say on the future of older adult mental health care in the Black Country

Seeking the views of people across the Black Country, the Trust's proposals align with wider NHS ambitions in light of the recent publication of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan and its ambitions to place a focus on community-based care, as well as the Black Country facing a slightly higher-than-average regional dementia diagnosis rate. 

Over the past nine years, older adult mental health services across the Black Country have been evolving to meet the needs of local communities. Building on this progress, the Trust is now looking to further develop services that provide more effective support for individuals and their families. 

This next phase will be shaped by the views of local people and delivered alongside the opening of new state-of-the-art, multi-million-pound older adult units at Dorothy Pattison Hospital in Walsall which took place earlier this year, along with Edward Street Hospital in Sandwell, which is due to open this autumn. 

As part of the planning process for modernising these services, a range of options are being considered. These include providing a Hospital at Home service along with inpatient care being delivered solely at new hospitals in Walsall and Sandwell, meaning the eventual closure of Meadow, Malvern and Holyrood wards at Penn and Bushey Fields Hospitals. 

Other options being considered are to deliver smaller scale changes involving care being provided on wards which are less modern - or keeping the current provision of care the same. 

The first option is preferable; moving the delivery of services to be in line with national ambitions and enabling the Trust to reinvest and strengthen services within the community. 

Working with the local community throughout this, a survey which gathers the views and priorities of local people is running until October 31. The survey can be accessed on the Trust’s website, where more information on the project – including a document exploring the various options for the future of older adult mental health care - can also be found. 

James Cole, Divisional Director of Older Adults and Talking Therapies at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is great to launch our engagement on the future of older adult care in the Black Country and we’re inviting all members of our community to have their say on this important topic. 

“We’ve been on a journey of transformation across our older adult services for several years, actively involving a wide range of stakeholders — including patients, staff, carers, and the public in shaping our plans. This current phase is the latest in almost a decade of commitment to improving and innovating our older adult care capabilities, aligning with priorities for mental health care across the country.  

“We’ve explored a range of options on how to proceed and believe that providing a Hospital at Home service alongside our new hospitals in Walsall and Sandwell will enable us to provide a system of high-quality, future-focused care as the number of dementia diagnoses across the UK is set to rise to 1.4million by 2040. 

“The input of our Black Country communities is key to our plans. Our project is open for comments until 31 October. We’re hoping to encourage a range of views from a wide variety of people, helping us to understand how best to shape our approach and identify any key points we may have missed.” 

Kuli Kaur-Wilson, Chief Strategy & Partnerships Officer/Deputy CEO at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: "On behalf of the Black Country Mental Health Lead Provider and Commissioner, we're delighted to be launching our engagement for the next phase of this project. 

"Supporting older adults with mental illness at home - rather than in hospital - is in line with the Government’s ambition to shift care from hospital to community. This is just one of many examples where our Trust and the mental health and learning disability sector is leading the way in this space. 

"Community first is a key priority at the Trust - and we have a strong track record demonstrating that our actions fulfil this ambition. We're doing our best for our Black Country communities by ensuring that people will be supported close to home, with access to high quality specialist inpatient care when it is necessary." 

Michelle Carolan on behalf of the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “We welcome the progress Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made in its role as both lead provider and commissioner of older adult mental health services.  

“Their leadership in developing and engaging on this next phase of care is not only encouraging but also reflects a strong commitment to delivering services that are aligned with both national priorities and the specific needs of our local communities.” 

For more information on this engagement project, please visit: https://staffzone.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/services-1/shaping-future-our-older-adult-mental-health-services-across-black-country