What it means for you

Bethany D, a service user, has experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating the gap between mental health and neurodivergent services. She shared: “Sometimes, we fall through the cracks - referred from one service to another, but not receiving the care we need because no one thinks they can help manage both conditions. I’m hopeful the new strategy will bring more collaboration, ensuring we’re involved in decisions about our healthcare. A more joined-up approach will improve communication between services, especially for those with dual diagnoses.”

Bethany is optimistic that this shift will bridge gaps and provide better, more coordinated care.

Len Cato, a dedicated volunteer with the St Denys Activity Group, is passionate about supporting people with mental health challenges. He also chairs the Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) Carers Group, to address the unique struggles faced by these communities.

Len shared: “BAME communities face poorer health outcomes, with local research showing stigma, secrecy, and discrimination as barriers to accessing mental health services. While some initiatives have helped, they lack continued support, and raising awareness remains an issue.

“BAME communities hope the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) strategy will drive change by improving engagement between services and communities. A strong feedback mechanism would give individuals a voice, track progress, and empower communities.”

Len feels positive that the new strategy will spark much-needed conversations about race equality and healthcare - essential for building trust and improving services.

Lisa Davies, a project manager, has seen firsthand the gaps between various digital systems and the difficulties staff face not having easy access to all required information. This often results in patients and service users having to repeat information and can impact joined-up care.

Lisa is hopeful the new strategy will streamline systems and ensure our digital processes are simpler to use which will improve outcomes for patients and service users, which is at the heart of what we do.

Lisa added: “I am excited to see what the vision for digital systems will be. It is not always obvious how important it is for them to ‘talk’ to each other and the opportunity this gives to standardise our processes. Ultimately this will support our staff, patients and service users.”

Lisa is looking forward to having a better process in place for our digital systems.

Sue Bickler works with Healthwatch to ensure the patient voice is at the heart of decision making.

Sue is excited about the potential impact the new strategy will have on our community, especially in creating more connected care. Sue said: “Currently a patient often has to attend multiple appointments with different healthcare services on separate days, which means travelling several times a month. This not only adds up in terms of cost but also takes a significant amount of time. Each time, the patient must repeat their story because healthcare notes aren’t always shared across teams or organisations. With a more integrated approach everything will be more coordinated, making the whole process much smoother for everyone.”

Sue is hopeful that this change will help make healthcare more efficient and patient-friendly, reducing stress and improving outcomes.