Written question WQ96739

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) and NHS England are working together on the development of Seren Lodge, with arrangements in place to ensure women’s voices help to shape the plans. The unit is expected to be operational by the end of October. A three-year commissioning arrangement for the provision of two beds for Welsh residents in Seren Lodge is in place, with any future commissioning of beds subject to a separate agreement, as required.

Recent recruitment to Seren Lodge has been successful in attracting seven people from Wales, four of whom are Welsh speakers.

The Welsh Government commissioned the JCC and Royal College of Psychiatrists Wales to evaluate the current and projected demand for mother and baby unit mental health inpatient services in Wales. It is available at: NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee & Royal College of Psychiatrists Wales Utilisation, Forecasting & Modelling Report.

Future work will be captured through the implementation of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Vision statement four provides detail on activity to further develop seamless person-centred care, supported by a delivery plan, which includes specific actions in relation to strengthening our available data, through the mental health core dataset. This is a complex piece of work which will be delivered in a phased approach with clear deliverables. This will ensure that any data collected is robust and fit for purpose, and will include prioritising demographic data, such as age, gender, preferred language and ethnicity. We also commit to developing a prioritised capital and estates plan. Recommendations from the JCC review will feed into this.