NHS South Yorkshire is proud to announce that “The Doncaster Community Mental Health Crisis Alternatives Alliance” has been successfully selected as a finalist for the Diversity in Innovation Award at this year's Innovate Awards.
The Doncaster Community Mental Health Crisis Alternatives Alliance consists of five mental health VCSE services (commissioned by NHS South Yorkshire and Doncaster City Council), Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals.
The vision for the alliance is to ensure patients do not need to tell their story more than once and escalation of crisis to an inpatient or emergency service can be prevented where possible.
The VCSE Crisis Alternative Alliance partners are working together to fill the gaps in areas including mental health, peer support for refugees, rough sleepers, those with a severe mental illness and different faith groups.
NHS South Yorkshire has also been recognised for the Safer Prescribing of Opioids programme in Doncaster, which has been shortlisted for Enabling Safer Systems of Care Through Innovation.
The initiative was developed to support chronic pain patients in Doncaster with safer alternatives to live well, relying less on opioids to manage their conditions. The three year programme has seen a reduction in prescribing of opioids in the city by around 20 per cent.
Dr David Crichton, Chief Medical Officer at NHS South Yorkshire and Doncaster GP said: “We are rightly proud of our teams and colleagues in South Yorkshire who have been nominated in this year's Innovate awards.”
“Reducing the prescribing of opioids has been a long-term ambition for Doncaster and it is great to see the fruits of this three-year programme improving the lives of people with chronic pain conditions.”
“It’s also wonderful to see our partnership working arrangements recognised for having a real impact on people’s mental health in Doncaster. Putting mental wellness and recovery at the heart of our partnership work is really helping people to live happily in their own communities.“
More than 190 entries competed across eleven categories at this year’s Innovate Awards. Judges evaluating the submission commented on the impressive and inspirational work taking place and have selected these projects among the best in their categories.
The Innovate Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on 21 September 2023 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London.