Jackie Curtis1,2, David Shiers3,4; 1University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia, 3University of Manchester, UK, 4Psychosis Research Unit of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust, UK
Background: The iphYs international collaboration arose out of a shared concern over health system failures to proactively tackle cardiometabolic risk. The UK National Audit of Schizophrenia (NAS, 2012) and the Australian 2nd National Survey of Psychosis (2010) demonstrated the magnitude of this. Yet other than acknowledging social injustice, strategic response was lacking. Method: To assess mutual impacts of iphYs collaboration: i) Impact in England of adapting original NSW Positive Cardiometabolic Health algorithm (HETI, 2011) to create UK Lester resource; ii) Impact in Australia of adopting HeAL (Healthy Active Lives declaration), a rights-based approach to physical health from outset of psychosis and its treatment Results: ENGLAND: Impact from adopting NSW Don't just screen, intervene approach to cardiometabolic risk: 2014 UK Lester resource endorsed by NICE, professional Royal Colleges, NHS England and Public Health England, Diabetes UK and Rethink. Implementing the Lester resource is key objective of NHSEs quality improvement programme (CQUIN) and Care Quality Commission's regulatory assessment. Aligning with HeAL, service implementation of Lester resource features in national EIP self-assessment audit; latest CQUIN specifically incentivises EIP services to mitigate weight gain and reduce smoking. AUSTRALIA: The HeAL declaration principles have been endorsed by NSW Health, being embedded in statewide and national strategic documents (eg NSW Mental Health Commission; National Mental Health Commission) and the Positive Cardiometabolic health algorithm, alongside HeAL is acknowledged in the RANZCP clinical practice guidelines for Schizophrenia. Conclusion: Synergies resulting from eight years of international collaborations between Australia and England have influenced radical changes in policy and practice at state and national level.
