Support of Mental Health Facilities represents significant demand on frontline resources nationally. Kendray Hospital in Barnsley is a clear example of this in action, with an annual cost of approximately £92,000 for police support of missing persons. Of the calls to the police from the hospital in 2018, 29.7% related to missing patients – almost all of which were resource intensive cases. There is a requirement in policy for individuals detained under the Mental Health Act to be reported missing to the police if their whereabouts cannot be accounted for. However, discrepancies in the risk categorisation process between the hospital staff and the police was leading to miscommunication and an ineffective response. As such, I created an intervention designed to simultaneously reduce demand on South Yorkshire Police and reduce risk to vulnerable patients.
Through partnership work with the South and West Yorkshire NHS trust, I identified a problem with the understanding and execution of the missing persons policy. Having identified
a training gap, I worked with senior management staff at
the hospital to devise a training package to deliver to those working on the ward. This was based on the existing policy but tailored for the needs of those working on the frontline. The training aimed to improve knowledge of responsibilities throughout the missing persons reporting process, including a more thorough use of the risk classification. In an effort to simplify the information and produce a straightforward guide, I designed a flow chart which encapsulated all the steps
that are required when reporting missing patients of all risk categories. I also developed small changes in procedures to improve efficiencies in the reporting process.