News and presentations from today's conference focusing on assessing, monitoring and improving the physical health outcomes of people with serious mental illness.
Opening the conference Mark Winstanley Chief Executive Rethink Mental Illness said; "Inequality is growing...it has got disproportionately worse during Covid... but positive change can be implementing immediately."
Improving Physical Health Outcomes: a lived experience perspective
Thomas Dunning Director & Motivational Speaker
Mental Health Runner
• a lived experience perspective
• how can we improve physical health and wellbeing
• understanding the physical side effects of medication
• how can we improve the lives of people with Serious Mental Illness?
Thomas shared his experience as a person with Personality Disorder, the amazing support of his wife Amber has pulled him through mental health crisis, as well as meeting people with the same diagnosis and running. Thomas finished his presentation saying his 3 mantras are:
- If 1 in 4 are suffering with mental health problems that always means there are 3 in 4 that can help save that life
- All that matters is to try
- With a mental health condition you are not a suffer you are a survivor, a thriver = a surthriver
- Thomas Dunning Biography 0.01 MBDOCXfile
The impact of Covid-19 & Lockdown on the Physical Health Outcomes of people with Severe Mental Illness
Andy Bell Deputy Chief Executive
The Centre for Mental Health
Kevin James Expert by Experience Consultant & Patient Leader 
Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
• the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown on the physical health outcomes of people with serious mental illness
• improving health checks
• managing long term health issues related to Covid-19
• the national picture and moving forward with parity of esteem
Andy opened the presentation looking at how co-production makes a reall difference in understanding what really helps people and what doesn't. He said services can be redesigned as a partnership between experts by experience and the profession. He went on to discuss key factors to successful engagement.
Kevin picked up the presentation to share his experience managing his mental health during Covid, the impact it had on him and lessons learned for the future to meeting the physical health needs of people with mental health conditions.
EXTENDED SESSION: improving the physical health of people with serious mental illness: a quality improvement approach
Dr Ed Beveridge Consultant Psychiatrist & Clinical Lead for Mental Health
UCL Partners NHS Foundation Trust
• current evidence about SMI population health
• past and current policy to improve this
• what has been the impact of Covid-19
• how can newly formed structures (ICS, transformed mental health services) meet this challenge
• what can organizations and individuals do?