Acute care declaration

BAOT/COT recognises that improving the acute mental health pathway needs to remain a key national priority and has therefore come together with other professional bodies, mental health service user groups and NHS providers to endorse a national declaration for people with a mental health crisis

The acute care pathway serves a vital part of responsive mental health care and occupational therapists have key roles in these services. Occupational therapists continue to ensure that service users can benefit from therapeutic activity and maintain links with their normal roles and responsibilities when they are often at the most vulnerable time of their recovery journey.

The declaration sets out that people who are acutely ill should receive safe, high quality care in a comfortable environment

Organisations need to work together to achieve this by focussing on integrating people back into their everyday lives whilst also setting out the need to promote a more positive image of mental illness. Key to the success of the declaration will be the development of an acute specialist workforce with the right skills and attitudes. It will also need a culture of enquiry and service improvement based on evidence and regular service user and carer feedback. The declaration is also supported by Mind, the National Patient Safety Agency, Star Wards, Rethink, The Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Psychological Society, the National Mental Health Development Unit and the Mental Health Network. The declaration covers five areas:

• tackling stigma
• promoting recovery and inclusion
• commissioning and providing better care
• supporting the development of a specialist workforce
• promoting research and development

 
The focus on recovery and social inclusion is supported by the College’s mental health strategy, Recovering Ordinary Lives. Occupational therapists who work in the acute care pathway, both community and inpatients, can use this declaration in their teams and organisations to support and promote their work.
For further information visit the Acute Care Programme website