The acute inpatient programme was established as one of NIMHE’s core national programmes following the publication of Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide for Adult Acute Inpatient Care and Minimum Standards for Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in April 2002. The Department of Health publication The NSF 5 Years On (December 2004) also identified acute inpatient care as a continued key priority for action.

The specific aims of the NIMHE Eastern Acute Inpatient Care programme are to:

• support local implementation of national policy guidance for adult acute inpatient care
• promote best practice in service planning and delivery
• support the development and work of local Acute Care Forums
• co-ordinate a regional service and practice development networks/ collaborative
• provide support to trusts on intensive acute pathway/service redesign using service improvement methodology
• develop a regional infrastructure of local stakeholders to support and oversee the local programme to ensure delivery
  
  

Key Activities:

• Provision of a resource to acute inpatient services to support local initiatives in implementation of policy guidance
• An Acute Inpatient Care Practice Development Forum which meets regularly to promote and share best practice in acute inpatient care in the region
• Facilitating acute pathway/service redesign to services through service improvement methodology
• A link from the region into the National Acute Inpatient Steering Group