Leeds Student Medical and The Light Local Care Partnership covers the city centre and student areas of Leeds. This LCP population are made up of people who are registered at the practices. Within this LCP, a substantial number of people do not live in the footprint.
As a local care partnership, we formed at the end of June 2020. In light of the COVID 19 pandemic, the initial focus was on the sharing of information, knowledge and support between members and their respective organisations.
At present, our partnership is made of primary care, universities and university unions, communities, third sector representation, and elected members. This is working well to cover the services and support this population engage with.
We focuses on building relationships to deliver improved services with conversations, connections, assets, and strengths. The critical population group are students. However, as this footprint also geographically covers the city centre, we know some communities live and use the area (such as the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers, and the LGBT+ community) who experience inequalities and challenges around health and care.
Current priorities
Autism health access project
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterised by social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and nonverbal communication challenges.
Advonet organisation is leading this project within the LCP, and the objective is looking to improve access to healthcare for autistic patients registered to The Light Surgery and Leeds Student Medical Practice. The project intends to identify and communicate reasonable adjustments and environmental factors, and provide staff training to support people with autism.
Community mental health transformation
Leeds Student Medical Practice and The Light LCP is one of three sites piloting the city-wide community mental health transformation. More about the transformation can be found on the Mindwell Leeds website.
Using a 90-day learning cycle, a city-wide core community offer is currently being designed, and a ‘blueprint’ should be outputted by May 2022. We will then personalise the blueprint, enhancing it to the needs of our local population. We will be testing the new model by July 2022.
In preparation for this, we have have formed a working group and are currently mapping what’s already in place in their local area, and what local people think about the current provision.
- By mapping the services and support available for people in their area, partners will understand where potential gaps are and where relationships would need to be built with organisations; as well as strengthening each other’s knowledge of how each other work, and where best to signpost people to. To do this, the working group are walking through anonymised case study based on characteristics of some of their patient population.
- At the end of 2021, Healthwatch Leeds undertook local engagement exercises to get views of local people to understand their needs and what matters to them. The report can be found here
Along with analysed GP data packs which are currently being created for the LCP, the working group will have a fuller picture of need and demand in their area to personalise and test this model out.
If you would like to be involved in this transformation work, or to find out more information, please email cmhtransformation.lypft@nhs.net who will be able to link you with your local LCP working group or wider reference groups.
Addictions
Addiction is a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behaviour, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence.
The number of people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction in our LCP area is quite high, and it was also noticed that Gambling addiction has increased among students.
We have formed an addiction working group to find out what matters to them, and understand support already available locally and nationwide. Using this knowledge base, the working group will then be able to identify gaps they could resolve or create an intervention process if required.
How to get involved
We are keen to include more partners across the patch, in particular those who can support our current priorities and community groups. If you would like more information or to join us, please contact lcht.lcpdevelopment@nhs.net.