SMI Physical Health checks:   

Completion of SMI physical health checks is an NHS Long Term Plan and CCG priority. The CCG is working with NELFT to support practices in maximising the number of patients receiving checks.

Practices will also note that the checks are also part of QoF and subject to a local incentive scheme. (Practices who have not yet signed up to the LIS are encouraged to do so before the end of March) 

NELFT health care assistants (HCAs) have been commissioned across BHR to provide extra capacity to undertake the checks. We also now have ARRs Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) in post; this provides practices with 2 options: 

Option 1 : referring all patients on SMI lists with outstanding checks to their local NELFT Access Team, subject to obtaining patient consent in the usual way. NELFT will then contact the patients and schedule appointments for the checks to be completed by the HCAs at the patient’s GP surgery, or a NELFT clinic , if preferred.  A block-referral for a number of patients needing health checks can be made, avoiding the need for a series of individual referrals.   

In the short term it may be necessary for check outcomes to be communicated using a Rio template, however, to minimise the administrative burden HCAs will be provided with Emis Community in order to enter information directly into the patient’s clinical record. If checks are conducted at the surgery, practices may also wish to provide the HCAs with logins to update the patient record whilst they are in situe. 

Option 2 : scheduling patients on SMI registers to be reviewed by their PCN’s MHP. The review can cover mental health, physical health and medication, and can be completed by the clinician themselves, or in conjunction with other members of the MDT. The MHP can also link with NELFT HCAs if additional capacity to complete the physical health checks is needed.     

Advice & Guidance 

Mental health advice and guidance is available for adults and older adults across BHR and is now live for CAMHS in Havering. The service is available through the ERS system and practices can expect to receive a response to queries within five working days. Please take advantage of this useful additional support for non-urgent queries regarding the care and treatment of patients with mental health issues. 

Community Mental Health Transformation   

NELFT have developed a micro-site with the latest information on the 3 year transformation programme. The site can be accessed via the following link:  

Community Mental Health Transformation Programme | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust 

Please direct any queries or requests for further information on any of the above items to the CCG Mental Health Commissioning Team at bhr.mhldateam@nhs.net