Mental health practitioners in GP surgeries reduce referrals to specialist services in North Yorkshire

First contact mental health workers have been working into GP surgeries since 2021. Recent figures show, based on an average of 1,921 patients over a three-month period, 92% of patients were supported directly, with only 5% needing to be seen by a GP and 3% requiring a referral to specialist secondary mental health services.

The practitioners have been introduced as part of a programme called Community Mental Health Transformation, which aims to change the way people are supported in their local communities.

One of the first steps in the programme was to improve early access to support and to reduce unnecessary referrals to secondary mental health services, ensuring people got the right support, first time.

First contact mental health workers have played an integral role in this, with 40 now working into a wide range of GP surgeries across North Yorkshire and York and plans for more by the end of the year.

David Kerr Community Mental Health Transformation and programme delivery lead, North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance said: “The introduction of first contact mental health workers really is transforming the way people are being supported.

“Prior to the roles being introduced most people were referred to secondary mental health services, often waiting a considerable time to be seen due to the high demand for support.

“A significant number were then passed back to primary care as they didn’t require the specialist intervention. By which time some people’s mental health had deteriorated further.

“Now only a small number of people need referring or even passing on to their GP. Most people are being supported in other ways in their local communities and they’re getting the help they need much more quickly.”

First contact mental health workers are specialists in mental health and work directly into GP surgeries. They can provide quick assessments, offering 1:1 support, as well as helping people to access local services that can help their wellbeing.

Laura Wright, team manager at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) oversees the first contact mental health workers in North Yorkshire and York. She said: “The team’s finding innovative new ways to expand their knowledge so that they can support people further. They’ve undertaken LGBTQ and bereavement training, become Cancer Champions, and are actively involved in a ‘nature prescription’ trial too.”

The first contact mental health workers also support multi-disciplinary meetings. These meetings allow staff from different organisations to come together to discuss patients’ needs and care and to look at the varied approaches and options available in supporting or treating them. The meetings also reduce the need for patients having to meet separately with different services, repeating their stories or being placed on further waiting lists.

Heather Selby, Digital and Transformation Manager at Whitby Coast and Moors Primary Care Network has practitioners working alongside her team. She said: “We’re really happy to have these practitioners working with us. They’ve a real drive to deliver the best possible mental health provision across Whitby and have been a huge source of support for both staff and patients."