Improving Physical Health Checks for people with Severe Mental Illness
I consulted with regional NHS teams to improve the pathway for Physical Health Checks for people with Severe Mental Illness. The approach was evidence-led and user-focused, aiming to enhance decision-making and service delivery across regions.
The challenge
Regional teams needed to improve the uptake and effectiveness of Physical Health Checks (PHCs) for people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). This required assessing their current design maturity and knowledge gaps, then introducing a structured, evidence-led, user-focused process for problem-solving to drive systemic improvements.
My role
I was a consultant coaching regional teams through a process that included:
- Assessing their design maturity
- Introducing a user-focused process for problem-solving
- Facilitating workshops for information gathering and problem mapping
- Coaching teams on how to gather, assess, and prioritise potential solutions
- Providing hands-on support in meeting facilitation, project planning, service mapping, impact mapping, and all phases of user research (planning, execution, analysis, and reporting)
Impact
The project successfully equipped teams to assess their knowledge gaps and understand how to supplement them with evidence for better decision-making. A significant outcome was the creation of a cross-regional peer network, which enables continuous learning and growth without ongoing external support.