Helping people with mental illness to live well

People receiving mental health care for severe mental illness in Kent and Medway are accessing more consistent physical health checks to help spot risks sooner and prevent avoidable illness.

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust has strengthened how it monitors physical health for patients starting antipsychotic medication, to ensure people access the right care when they need it. 

People with severe mental illness often face significant health inequalities and on average die 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population, mainly from preventable conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illnesses and cancer. 

Antipsychotic medication can further increase these risks such as weight gain, diabetes and heart problems, making early and regular monitoring essential.

The improvements, led by nursing teams, are helping to make sure physical health checks are carried out consistently across hospital and community services, clearly recorded, and followed up when needed.

This includes more consistent checks when treatment starts, clearer accountability for follow-up care, stronger links between mental and physical health teams and better conversations with patients about what the checks mean and why they matter. 
  
Julie Kirby, Acting Chief Nurse at Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust said: “People with severe mental illness experience significant health inequalities, and we are committed to addressing this. This work is about making sure we treat the whole person, and not just their mental health. By strengthening physical health checks, we can identify risks earlier and help people who live with mental health to live well.

“These changes are already helping staff to feel more confident in identifying concerns and acting quickly, with clearer pathways for support when issues are found.”

The approach has been co-created with patients and carers, who have shaped communication and follow-up care, guiding further improvements to how care is delivered across the trust.

Shannon Paine, Corporate Head of Nursing and Quality at Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust said: “We know that good mental health care cannot be separated from good physical health care. By improving how we monitor physical health for people starting antipsychotic medication, we are identifying risks earlier and supporting people to stay healthier in the long term.”

The trust continues to share learning across services and with partners as part of its wider commitment to reducing health inequalities.