<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/6825a24236d80021552fa0c2089962ed.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">In the second and final part of a feature on Alison Kenyon of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust the digitisation of the NHS is under the spotlight. As the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic are learnt the way technology is used by the NHS can help to deliver more services in a timely and convenient way for both doctor and patient.&nbsp;For all its shortfalls, there have been a large number of instances where digital technology has proven useful and indeed effective in keeping mental health services running, as Kenyon explained.She said: “Research into how we have changed our delivery of services is showing that a lot of what has been switched to remote delivery is doing quite well, and it does help to get around some of the typical challenges of face-to-face interventions. We have to remember in our profession that not every form of intervention may require or be suitable for the face-to-face contact. During the pandemic where these sorts of interventions have had to occur, either or both parties - clinician and patient - have had to wear a face covering and that can make reading visual and non-verbal cues more difficult which intimidates some patients with certain conditions. That can impact that relationship of trust between the clinician and patient which is essential. Clinicians have also had to undertake risk assessments too when looking to see patients face-to-face so this has brought in a whole new discussion and a whole new admin burden. Remote delivery, where such an approach is appropriate, does help get round these issues.”Kenyon went on to discuss how remote provision has also had other benefits for the patient, such as being more convenient for them and removing the anxieties of having to physically present themselves on site and potentially risk contracting the virus from someone else.“Some of our service users have been afraid of the prospect of face-to-face consultation and want to keep themselves in self-isolation. Others have also been shielding. For these people, as well as those who would prefer to come in but cannot because of restrictions, remote provision is ideal. We have still been able to operate our in-person service but at a reduced capacity in order to comply with Covid-secure rules. We could not see as many people in the building, but with technology and other steps we have taken, we have managed to avoid a work backlog.”Keeping on top of the workloadAs well as bringing forward a digital agenda, Kenyon revealed another way that the mental health service has been able to free-up capacity, which came about through working more closely with third sector partners and distributing work.“With our community mental health teams, we decided that we would be prioritising higher risk users, and for those who are medium or lesser risks we’ve worked with one of our third sector partners and rapidly commissioned a new service to ensure that third sector personnel are able to provide support to those individuals who don’t fall into our highest risk category. So the third sector has been able to take on the responsibility of calling in to speak to the lesser risk users and taking time out to help them with shopping and other things, and that has freed up capacity for us to focus on the more acutely ill.“Service users have really valued this new service as well, and it is something that we’ll look to continue with, so we are actually learning all the time through this about how we can deliver services more effectively. So, there are good things to come out of this whole situation too.”Reset versus revert and the challenges of the futureEchoing the words of fellow health experts <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/we-have-to-view-this-as-an-opportunity-professor-adrian-banning-speaks-on-how-the-covid-19-crisis-can-instigate-positive-change-within-the-nhs">Prof Adrian Banning</a> and <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/pressing-the-reset-button-dr-antoni-chan-says-that-covid-19-can-act-as-the-circuit-breaker-to-rethink-nhs-systems-and-be-a-turning-point-for-the-health-service">Dr Antoni Chan</a>, with whom we spoke earlier this week, Kenyon informed us that some within the NHS are determined to use the pandemic as an opportunity to reset and re-evaluate pathways in order to make the health service more effective, rather than seek to commandeer as swift a return as possible to maximum capacity under the pre-pandemic model over 2021.“We have been using the word ‘reset’. Every health service is undergoing a process of re-evaluation, looking at things that have worked through the pandemic and other aspects that haven’t, so that we can take some things forward. We are not just standing back up post-Covid, we are resetting how we deliver our services in the long-term and improving on what was there before.“I think in future we will see a much more agile health service. We have been able to respond to this pandemic at phenomenal speed and change how we deliver services, doing things in days and weeks that would probably have taken months. However, the problem here is that such speed of change is not sustainable and healthcare staff will inevitably feel the strain as they become tired and burnt out. Even though they are taking annual leave, working for the NHS is a very different way of living a working life. With winter pressures on the horizon, there will be more challenges to come until we can shrug off Covid as an immediate and present danger, and then we must look at the financial challenges ahead. We are going to have to be thrifty in the next year, because even though we have had extra funding to get to this point, we cannot keep spending money hand over fist without any recourse. There will be some difficult conversations to be had with providers as we naturally try to fight for as much resource as we possibly can.”‘People are our greatest asset’When asked more specifically about the impact that the pandemic has had on healthcare staff having mentioned that many are suffering with fatigue, Kenyon was clear that NHS staff are the health service’s most valuable asset and said that she wanted to see more support from leaders in the sector to help them cope both through the remainder of the pandemic and through the aftermath, in order to avoid them becoming extra victims of the looming mental health deterioration.“The early onset of the pandemic was a huge challenge for staff. Many were testing positive and having to go into isolation and everybody had to adjust with new precautions including shielding, more stringent cleanliness procedures and PPE, and now this is settling and people know how to protect themselves the initial shock and anxiety as a result of the unknown has eased.“In my view, the problem is going to be fuelled by what healthcare staff have been witnessing. Covid patients can become extremely ill and staff are being exposed to a lot of people in critical condition and can easily succumb to mental health problems because of these traumas. In many areas of the country, we have been working and researching to try to predict where incidences of mental illness could crop up across the population, and one of the groups we have monitored closely are people working in health and social care. We have grounds to believe that the future number of mental health issues linked to conditions like PTSD in Leeds alone could be tremendous just among social care workers because of what they have experienced.“We need to prepare for this looming mental health crisis and take care of our staff and help them find ways to cope. Some of this comes down to good leadership and knowing when things are not right and giving people who are suffering the access to the right kind of support. We need to think of what work we can do on leadership development, maybe in the early part of 2021, and explore how to help leaders be on top of their game in spotting these issues and addressing them.”Once more reiterating a point raised by Prof Adrian Banning, Kenyon explained that some clinicians and health workers may be suffering from being unable to socialise as they typically would with some of their work colleagues, which has compromised an important coping mechanism.“I think for clinicians, what they are missing most is that time where they can sit with colleagues over a coffee and socialise over their shared experiences and traumas. That camaraderie and support that comes with that is gone and the way we run meetings remotely now, it is very much straight down to business and there is not the social exchange of human conversation anymore. That again will take a toll on people.“For example, I am able to do my job from home and since the end of March I have spent four days in the office. The whole reason I decided to go in over those days was because I wanted to see my colleagues in-person. In those rare instances I could go in and speak to my manager and other colleagues and that is uplifting and will buoy me up going forward. We need to provide those opportunities safely in the short-term and leaders need to be aware of the importance of this as well as being self-aware of where they are at because they are not immune to the same struggles either.“I have seen this pandemic bring out the best in my colleagues in the NHS. My whole career since the age of 18 has been in the NHS, it is my life. Our people are our greatest asset, and we need to make sure we look after and support them through what will be an exceedingly difficult time to come.”<h4>---</h4>The Leaders Council of Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland is a network of outstanding leaders which brings together the most influential figures from across the country. Chaired by former home secretary and education secretary, Lord Blunkett, the Leaders Council celebrates the hard work and achievements of the nation’s unsung leaders, while seeking to inspire the next generation.From the CEO of a multinational bank to leading researchers and the founders of innovative new start-ups, these are the people who take risks, create jobs and empower their colleagues.Through detailed case studies, news coverage, podcasts and leadership events, we are able to unearth the authentic voices of British industry. We chart the challenges, pitfalls and successes of leadership in the twenty-first century.We put leadership in the spotlight and allow these inspirational people, who spend so much time empowering others, to receive the recognition they deserve.



















































Leaders Council members are committed to our code of conduct, with its stringent emphasis on high standards and a responsibility to share knowledge with others.</div>

In the second and final part of a feature on Alison Kenyon of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust the digitisation of the NHS is under the spotlight. As the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic are learnt the way technology is used by the NHS can help to deliver more services in a timely and convenient way for both doctor and patient. 

PART 2 - People are our greatest asset says Alison Kenyon, Associate Director  at Leeds Mental Health Care Group

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/d657a0595308d4be9bad66ed577926eb.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">With the government announcement yesterday, of which areas of the UK are to be placed in which of the 3 tiers. Today we hear from two hospitality organisations facing the Tier 2 &amp; Tier 3 restrictions in the run up to the festive period.<h4><a href="https://beckettssouthsea.co.uk/">Becketts</a> prepares for Tier 2 restrictions and a welcome return to business </h4>Becketts is a <a href="http://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/then-and-now-one-year-on-from-underwhelming-review-becketts-leaves-dish-detective-with-food-for-thought">highly regarded</a> and unique venue in Southsea, Portsmouth. The management and staff have had a turbulent year dealing with the restrictions placed upon them to deal with the covid-19 outbreak. As England prepares to exit the Autumn lockdown with the new, more restrictive, tiered system in place for hospitality venues to deal with, Terence Carvalho, General Manager at Becketts is full of confidence that his team will be ready to open. Carvalho told the Leaders Council ‘As general manager I am extremely excited to reopen our doors to our wonderful loyal customers who have supported the business especially during the most difficult year of most of our lifetimes.’ He goes on to say that despite the challenging trading conditions of 2020 Beckets has won a LuxLife Hospitality Award and is included in the top 10% of hotels in the world according to TripAdvisor. On the government imposed restrictions Carvalho says ‘’Portsmouth is alongside 90% of England which has been given tier 2 restrictions but we are confident we can continue to flourish. The front of house team and the kitchen team are raring to go with a new menu to be launched shortly.’’ <h4>Chief Executive of Van Dyk Hotel questions how hospitality can survive Tier 3 Restrictions </h4>Paul Wildes, Chief Executive of <a href="https://www.vandykbywildes.co.uk/">Van Dyk Hotel</a>, has sent a letter to the MP for Bolsover, Mark Fletcher, questioning why the area has been placed into Tier 3 restrictions and asking how hospitality businesses will survive the winter with such strict measures in place. Wildes says that the current restrictions ’ will spell the end of the hospitality sector as we have known it as many of the restaurants and pubs will simply never open again.’’ Highlighting that ‘These are businesses, which have been built over many years by talented and hardworking people who take pride in what they have created. In many cases these businesses are at the centre of their communities helping mark key milestones in peoples lives both happy and sad.’ Wildes believes that the government is not following the science and says that the hospitality sector is being made out as a scapegoat when cases of Covid-19 rise. He wants to see more being done to represent the constituency from local MPs and points to how London is under tier 2 restrictions despite many areas having a higher rate of covid-19 per 100,000. Although the hotel is feeling the strain with the restrictions in place, Wildes and the senior management team have committed to helping their local community over the festive period by:i. Helping our neighbours who are less fortunate than us by providing free meals to those who as a result of this cruel lockdown cannot afford to feed&nbsp;themselves.ii. Donating Christmas gifts to families with children who could not afford to put presents under their trees this Christmas for their little ones.iii. Offering jobs to the people of Bolsover who have lost theirs through no fault of their own.









































iv. Staff will be calling our guests many of them who have become friends to offer support and a friendly voice in these lonely times&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

With the government announcement yesterday, of which areas of the UK are to be placed in which of the 3 tiers. Today we hear from two hospitality organisations facing the Tier 2 & Tier 3 restrictions in the run up to the festive period.

The run up to Christmas under two tiers by Becketts  and  Van Dyk Hotel

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/3a3490d97b08854a4025a03898cd4c2d.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Although an exit route from the Covid-19 pandemic may now be in sight, Alison Kenyon of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust feels its legacy will be with us for some time to come and there is much work still to be done to mitigate the long-term impacts, including a looming mental health crisis among the population and health and social care staff.While the nation waits optimistically for news of further updates regarding the recent successful <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-19-vaccine-oxford-latest-pfizer-moderna-when-coronavirus-priority/">vaccine</a> trials, Thursday brought with it a bitter dose of reality and a stark reminder that as a nation, we are very much not out of the woods yet. This came as <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/26/england-coronavirus-tiers-1-2-just-three-areas-tier-1/">health secretary Matt Hancock</a> appeared before the media to set out which regions would be subject to the harshest restrictions under the government’s revised three-tier framework, which is expected to be in place until March 2021.In the hours before the news emerged that West Yorkshire would be plunged into Tier 3 and subject to the most stringent measures, while the city of York and wider North Yorkshire would find itself entangled in Tier 2 from December 2, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-kenyon-505b3913/?originalSubdomain=uk">Alison Kenyon</a>, associate director of the Leeds Mental Health Care Group within the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and specialist in mental health and disability services, spoke exclusively to The Leaders Council of Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland to share her experiences of the pandemic and what the impact of Covid-19 could mean for the future of the health service and our mental wellbeing.The impact of Covid on mental health servicesWhile the pandemic did initially put several routine health services on hold as resources were redirected toward the frontline of fighting the virus, Kenyon began by explaining that this trend was not seen within mental health services.Kenyon outlined: “The difference in mental health services as opposed to physical health during recent months is when people are ill with Covid and need hospitalisation, they are admitted to acute hospitals because they’ve needed more support. With mental health it isn’t the case, we admit people who struggle with mental wellbeing and we have not found our physical capacity being stretched, so we’ve continued many of our services at full capacity through the pandemic and we have noticeably had a number of our service users suffering from Covid, some of whom have sadly died. We have also had a number of staff who have sadly passed.”In the early stages of the pandemic, Kenyon recalled that there was an obvious decrease in the number of admissions referrals within the mental health service, yet this respite only proved temporary as the many months of restrictions within the community and forced closures of facilities and businesses began to take a toll on people’s mental health, fuelling an increase in demand as the year went on.“The incidence of Covid within the mental health trust and our service users are probably similar to incidence within the community. We were not in a situation where we were bringing Covid patients into our facilities and we were seeing a drop-off in the number of referrals for admission over the first wave. However, since the second wave and the reintroduction of harsher measures, we are seeing an increase in demand for mental health and disability services across the board and there are a number of factors behind that.”Proceeding to outline these factors, Kenyon added: “Predominantly, demand for our services is increasing because the infrastructure of support in the community has stopped. So, more people with serious and longstanding mental health conditions who have managed their condition themselves thanks to help from community support, have been coming in to see us because they’ve relapsed during the pandemic to the extent that admission has been needed. When we have spoken to these patients and their carers, they’ve mentioned factors such as swimming pools and libraries and other community facilities closing. Lockdowns and restrictions mean these people cannot socialise and meet friends in coffee shops and their work environments have changed too. The wider support infrastructure has ceased and that is what is impacting them.”A looming mental health crisis?In spite of the prime minister’s optimism that the concept of lockdowns will become obsolete by Easter once vaccination programmes have hopefully commenced, Kenyon believes that the social impact of the pandemic will continue to be felt for some time to come, especially with regards to people’s mental health.She elaborated: “This pandemic won’t just affect those who have had Covid. It will impact staff and volunteers within healthcare services and the general public. We foresee significant increases of people who will be reporting issues with their mental wellbeing going forward, and this will become a significant burden on society with the demand for general practice and private mental health services, as well as services provided by the third sector. I feel this won’t be over for quite some time yet.“I think delivering a mass vaccination programme will be key to helping us get out of the pandemic first, but even then we’ll either need to continue to live a restricted lifestyle for some time to come, or we’ll subconsciously do so of our own accord. I think we will see some changes to social behaviours in the long-term. We will see people wearing face masks voluntarily, people restricting how often they go out and what social situations they involve themselves in. So, society will be impacted for a long time.”Although the demand for mental health services is likely to continue to rise, Kenyon remained hopeful that the pandemic will make people more willing to discuss their physical and mental health openly.“Over recent years having a mental illness has become more socially acceptable. People are more willing to talk about it and I think there is a long way to go, but people are talking about mental health more as a result of this, and they are willing to be open and discuss their struggles in lockdown and isolation. A lot of research is currently underway to assess the impact of Covid on people and it is important we do this, because it isn’t just about the impact of the virus, it is about what we can then do to address that impact. A major boost though is that people do seem to be taking health more seriously.”What has recent mental health research uncovered?“We do anticipate that between now and March, there will continue to be consequences on people’s employment status and finances which are going to have a knock-on effect on mental health. It does appear from research currently being undertaken that the impact on young people is far greater than anticipated and it is important that we pay attention to that as a health service to ensure we provide the right types of interventions.“With young people in particular, mental conditions can become more serious going into adulthood and more intervention may be needed further on down the line.”While the initial outbreak did press the pause button on much medical research, Kenyon revealed that as the pandemic has worn on the situation has changed as more mental health research projects have been launched to chart how the crisis is affecting mental wellbeing and those already suffering with mental illness.Kenyon said: “Studies are being undertaken currently to assess the effectiveness of the way we have changed the delivery of mental health services through Covid and that is hugely important. Through the pandemic, we have continued delivering our care intervention digitally through mediums such as telephone and virtual platforms like Zoom or Teams.”Unfortunately, the remote delivery of services has not proven to be a one-size fits all approach, as research has shown.Kenyon continued: “We are also seeing from research and personal experiences that there are some people who we cannot reach using digital platforms. There is now a whole new discussion being had about digital poverty and people not being able to access our services through lack of a certain device or home Wi-Fi. I find it quite interesting that in this day and age, we take access to digital technology as a given, and yet we aren’t all privy to it.”<h4>----</h4>The Leaders Council of Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland is a network of outstanding leaders which brings together the most influential figures from across the country. Chaired by former home secretary and education secretary, Lord Blunkett, the Leaders Council celebrates the hard work and achievements of the nation’s unsung leaders, while seeking to inspire the next generation. From the CEO of a multinational bank to leading researchers and the founders of innovative new start-ups, these are the people who take risks, create jobs and empower their colleagues.Through detailed case studies, news coverage, podcasts and leadership events, we are able to unearth the authentic voices of British industry. We chart the challenges, pitfalls and successes of leadership in the twenty-first century.We put leadership in the spotlight and allow these inspirational people, who spend so much time empowering others, to receive the recognition they deserve.Leaders Council members are committed to our code of conduct, with its stringent emphasis on high standards and a responsibility to share knowledge with others.</div>

Although an exit route from the Covid-19 pandemic may now be in sight, Alison Kenyon of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust feels its legacy will be with us for some time to come and there is much work still to be done to mitigate the long-term impacts, including a looming mental health crisis among the population and health and social care staff.

PART 1 - Alison Kenyon calls for healthcare leaders to support sector staff post-Covid and stave off looming mental health crisis

Echoing the views of Prof Adrian Banning, with whom The Leaders Council spoke earlier this week, consultant rheumatologist and associate medical director Dr Antoni Chan from the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust believes that the Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a reset button for the NHS and can be used as a catalyst for improvement.

Pressing the reset button: Dr Antoni Chan says that Covid-19 can act as the circuit-breaker to rethink NHS systems and be a turning point for the health service

Andrew Hookway is the co-founder of Extech Cloud, a Microsoft Gold partner specialising in digital transformation.

In Conversation: Andrew Hookway

Martin Stevens is the co-founder of HarrisonStevens, a landscape architecture and urban design firm based in Edinburgh. Stevens helped set up HarrisonStevens in 2010.

In Conversation: Martin Stevens

Matt Coulson is the CEO of Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work, a 1.8 million square foot business campus located in West London.

In Conversation: Matt Coulson

Diana Jarvis is a journalist at NewsQuest Media Group Ltd, the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom.

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PART 2 - People are our greatest asset says Alison Kenyon, Associate Director at Leeds Mental Health Care Group

The run up to Christmas under two tiers by Becketts and Van Dyk Hotel

PART 1 - Alison Kenyon calls for healthcare leaders to support sector staff post-Covid and stave off looming mental health crisis

Pressing the reset button: Dr Antoni Chan says that Covid-19 can act as the circuit-breaker to rethink NHS systems and be a turning point for the health service

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