Joint Research Day, UClan, Burnley 2018

The Joint Research Day between Uclan and ELHT took place on the 27th of November, at Victoria Mills, Burnley. The event brought together researchers and clinicians to showcase recent research, share new ideas about clinical problems that need tackling and seek collaborative interest between ELHT and UCLan staff. Uclan researchers from various academic/ research disciplines such as engineering, computer science, psychology, and health participated. The event was an opportunity to: • Hear about current local research projects, • Get involved in planned research, • Develop research ideas, • Develop collaborative partnerships. The program included • Keynote lectures by Professor St John Crean, Pro Vice Chancellor, Uclan (the second keynote speaker to be announced), • Presentations and posters of local studies. • Workshops

GP perceptions of community-based children’s mental health services in Pennine Lancashire: a qualitative study

Background: General Practitioner (GP) satisfaction with specialist Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is often reported as low in the United Kingdom and internationally. Aim: To explore GP perceptions of local children’s mental health services and to understand their experiences of a novel GP-attached Primary Mental Health Worker (PMHW) service. Design and Setting: Qualitative research involving GPs in Pennine Lancashire. Method: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews of GPs (n=9) were carried out. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Themes identified included: 1. The role of the GP: Most GPs perceived their role to be signposting and referring patients with mental health issues to specialist services, rather than offering care directly. 2. Clarity on help available: GPs were unclear about specialist CAMHS referral criteria and alternative resources available. GPs experienced communication challenges with specialist CAMHS. 3. Getting advice and support: PMHWs enabled GPs to have informal discussions and to seek advice about children. Some GPs felt they could recognise problems earlier and were able to access help more quickly. 4. Development needs: Some GPs felt they required increased training in supporting children with mental health problems and identified a need for further collaboration with schools and specialist CAMHS. Conclusion: The study identified challenges that GPs face with accessing and utilising specialist CAMHS. GPs who had PMHWs based in their practices expressed increased satisfaction with these services. GP-attached PMHWs can potentially reduce the challenges faced by GPs in primary care by offering timely and accessible advice and improving access to specialist CAMHS