For mental health awareness week 2021 East Midlands Academic Health Science Network is highlighting how it has helped to innovate and transform mental health services in the region and beyond.

Nearly 10,000 children across England have had an objective ADHD assessment using AHSN-supported technology.

In the last 12 months, nearly 10,000 children across England have had an objective assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), using AHSN-supported technology.

And in the East Midlands, where the AHSN programme began in 2019 as a demonstrator project, six out of eight trusts are using the technology – with the aim to increase this further over the course of the year.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and affects around 5% of school-aged children worldwide[1]. Symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. If undiagnosed and/or untreated ADHD can have a significant impact on personal development, academic outcomes and social interaction. Mental health charity Mind also indicates that those with ADHD are more likely to experience a mental health problem[2].

Focus ADHD uses technology created by international health technology company Qbtech Ltd. The QbTest is a computer-based test that measures the disorders key symptoms all at the same time, which can reduce diagnosis time by approximately five months (153 days).

Nicole McGlennon, Managing Director, East Midlands AHSN said: “The East Midlands AHSN delivered a 12-month, real-world demonstrator project, where the test was deployed and evaluated in three East Midlands trusts. Our findings showed that using the test to supplement current clinical assessment processes not only reduced diagnosis time but that 94% of clinicians and 85% of patients found the tool helpful.

“Focus ADHD can help release clinicians’ capacity, reduce waiting lists, improve treatment and allow more time to concentrate on complex cases. It’s great to see it being supported by the AHSNs nationally to ensure more families can benefit.”

Read our blog ADHD impact in the East Midlands. 

Supporting mental health teams to speed up diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders in young people. 

East Midlands Academic Health Science Network is supporting three East Midlands Trusts to implement the Early Intervention Eating Disorders programme.

The programme uses the First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) model, in which services provide a specialist care package for people aged 16 to 25 years who have been referred to the service with a first episode eating disorder which is less than three years duration.

We support trusts to implement and evaluate this model and improve the care, experience and outcomes of young adults with eating disorders across the East Midlands. 

Eating disorders typically develop in adolescence and early adulthood, when the brain is still developing and can cause brain changes that negatively affect the chances of recovery. Treatment outcomes are significantly worse after an illness duration of three or more years, compared to earlier intervention. 

The FREED model enables health service providers to start treatment within four weeks of referral to an eating disorder service. It also attends to the specific needs of young people in the early stages of an eating disorder. It emphasises early, pro-active engagement; early symptom change; family involvement; attention to the effects of eating disorders on the brain; attention to social media use; and attention to transitions (out of school, to university, into work) and ‘emerging adulthood. 

Two East Midlands trusts received funding from NHS England to roll out the FREED model in 2020/2021 and these services are now both live. 

EMAHSN also funded Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust to rollout the FREED model which is expected to launch in summer 2021. 

In initial evaluations, and compared to treatment-as-usual processes, FREED: 

• Reduced waiting times by 32% for assessment and 41% for treatment
• Reduced the proportion of patients who needed day-patient or inpatient care by 35%
• Improved treatment outcomes such that 70% of FREED patients had symptom scores below clinical cut-points by 12 months (vs. 50% on average in published studies)
• Helped 59% of anorexia nervosa patients reach a healthy weight within 12 months of starting treatment, compared to 17% of non-FREED treatment-as-usual patients.

Dara Coppel, Head of Innovation Programme Delivery, East Midlands AHSN said: “We are excited to support our local eating disorder services to bring this service model to the East Midlands. Each of the three services currently implementing the model will be evaluated to ensure our patients are receiving the benefits and the improved outcomes that have been seen elsewhere in the country.”

[1] NICE. (2008). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults. Clinical Guideline 72. London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

[2] Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/adhd-and-mental-health/