Mental Health Act assessments are an essential tool that help care specialists expedite getting patients to the care they need. To carry out an assessment, Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) arrange ‘Section 12’ qualified and registered doctors to visit their patient so that a full assessment of care need can take place. Arranging all of this is not easy – AMHPs have to trawl through contact lists, often paper-based and out of date, to try to contact a doctor who is qualified, local and available. This can take hours, even longer... and all the while, a patient remains waiting to receive the potentially lifesaving care and protection they need.
The NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (NHS MLCSU) recognise the inefficiency in the end-to-end process and the significant risks due to poor controls. They also currently have to deal with daily calls from doctors chasing for payment and, often the claims process is paper-based and has limited reporting ability.
It was clear to us there are both patient safety and experience benefits, along with efficiency gains for all stakeholders e.g. Clinical Commissioning Groups and Commissioning Support Units to be realised with a better approach. Our in-house app development team, Digital Innovation – working with expert finance colleagues – have developed this digital solution. Crafted from within and for the NHS, it makes sourcing an s.12 doctor rapid and hassle-free. Within minutes, AMHPs can geo-locate and select appropriate doctors from the local area and book them. Then, once the assessment is complete, the system offers an error and fraud-safe automated claims process that gives Clinical Commissioning Groups critical financial control.
Everyone benefits:-
Patients
Fast decisions mean a fast assessment so that the right care can be provided as quickly as possible
Less distress and confusion for friends and family
Better use of all public resources – A&E, policing, social care
AMHPs
Quickly locate local, available and qualified s.12 doctors – no more lists, no more countless and fruitless phone calls
s.12 doctors
Maximise their time and income by sharing their availability with local AMHPs
Retention and growth of experience, skills and professional relationships
One-click accept or decline assessment requests on their phone, whenever and wherever
Easily submit claims and check on status – all paper-free!
NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups
Streamline invoicing and payments – a finance claims processor is no-longer required
Prevent errors or fraud that can and does occur with manual/paper systems, which also minimises the risk of legal action/litigation
Advanced query and reporting tools
Enables a faster clinical response, minimising delays and avoiding escalation
Our NHS-built app meets all our shared information governance standards and is made purely to free-up capacity in the NHS. With no shareholders or owners to pay, every penny of investment in our tool goes back into the NHS – either by freeing up resource or investing in more innovation that benefits our staff and patients.
Speak to us today for a demonstration - email: [email protected]
Developed from within the NHS, for the NHS by the Digital Innovation Unit.