Service-line management in mental health trusts

Who attended?

Mental health foundation trusts and aspiring mental health trust chairs, chief executives, finance directors, medical directors and clinical and business/divisional unit leads.

What were the learning objectives?

Service-line reporting (SLR) and service-line management (SLM) combine robust management principles and business planning. While the principles of SLM are the same, the challenges of implementing SLR in mental health trusts are different compared to an acute hospital.

A multi disciplinary team approach with clinical engagement is a fundamental part of the process. Monitor's SLM pilot sites placed the clinicians at the heart of business decision making for the first time. This conference offered the opportunity for mental health trusts to:

  • keep up to date with the latest developments;
  • learn from practical strategies to help make improvements for better management and better performance; and
  • understand the practical challenges and key issues of SLM for mental health trusts.

Programme

The programme was chaired by Robert Harris, Policy Director, Monitor and was a mixture of plenary sessions and seminars. Plenary speakers included:

  • Dr William Moyes, Executive Chairman, Monitor;
  • Mark Fletcher, Head of the Audit Commission's Trust Practice;
  • Christine Boswell, Chief Executive, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health Foundation Trust; and 
  • Duncan Orme, Director of Finance, St. Andrew's Healthcare.

The speakers discussed the up to date thinking and views on service-line management and reporting, the relationship between commissioners and mental health trusts and lessons from the private sector.

A key focus of the day was a choice of interactive seminars led by senior management from the SLM pilot sites for mental health. This gave delegates an opportunity to learn from and share best practice in this area.

Conference agenda in full 

9.45am  Welcome and introduction

9.50am  Understanding your business in a downturn: A necessity for survival and development (PDF downloadable summary)
Dr William Moyes, Executive Chairman - Monitor

10.10am  Why SLM is important for mental health trusts
Mark Fletcher, Head of the Audit Commission's Trust Practice

10.30am  Q&A session

11.10am  Commissioning in a downturn: understanding both perspectives (downloadable PDF)
Christine Boswell, Chief Executive - Rotherham and Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

11.45am  Breakout Seminars

1.45pm  Breakout Seminars

2.45pm  Managing mental health services in the private sector - Duncan Orme, Director of Finance, St Andrew's Healthcare

3.30pm Conference close