Stakeholder Newsletter - March 2026

Welcome to our March stakeholder newsletter from Trish Bennett MBE, Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to our stakeholder newsletter, this edition brings you the latest news and initiatives from around our Trust and updates you can share with your teams and communities.

This newsletter reaches you during national industrial action by resident doctors, which has put immense pressure on the health system. I want to recognise the additional efforts of our Mersey Care colleagues to keep vital NHS services running or rearranging postponed appointments as quickly and safely as possible.

This month has been a significant one for Mersey Care, with the announcement that we will be working more closely with Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL) to deliver specialist community services across West Lancashire. MWL will act as lead provider for the contract and we will be sub-contracted to deliver some of these services. Building on our experience of delivering community services across the city and the surrounding region, this closer partnership will support more joined up working across pathways and help strengthen specialist community services for people in West Lancashire.

We’re also strengthening links in other areas of our region by working closely with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in a number of different areas, including the jointly run Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service to provide support for families during pregnancy and 24 months postnatal. Our two trusts also work together within the Cheshire and Merseyside mental health programme including 24/7 crisis provision, collaborate on community health services, neuro-developmental services and support for people with complex mental health needs. We’re also partnering in joint recruitment for therapists and Child and Young Person Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP) to work in mental health teams in Warrington. This will improve consistency of care and create joint governance arrangements for services across the region.

There are plenty of interesting items below, but I’d like to draw your attention to the launch of our new Autism passport (full details below), which coincided with Autism Acceptance Month. The passport allows autistic people to clearly communicate their needs, preferences and what helps when they may be distressed – helping professionals across health, social care and emergency services respond in a way that is respectful, informed and tailored. We’ve also published new content on the website pages for people to use and developed an animation explaining all about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Finally, if you have any queries or would like more information about any of the items in this newsletter, please let us know by emailing our communications team:  communications@merseycare.nhs.uk.

Our Services

Winter plan helps relieve system pressure

Mersey Care's winter plan helped increase patient flow through key services and pathways despite facing another challenging time during one of the busiest periods of the year for NHS emergency and community services.

The Trust developed a robust and comprehensive winter/resilience plan to help keep our service users and patients well and alleviate pressure on the wider system. This helped ensure minimal disruption and overall, it was an incredibly positive outcome under difficult conditions. More information is available on the news section of our website.

New online Autism passport launched

We have launched our new online autism passport, a digital, personalised tool that helps autistic people communicate their needs. It gives professionals quick access to key information such as communication preferences, sensory needs, triggers and effective support strategies, improving care across all settings.

The passport includes signposting information on local autism services across Liverpool, Sefton, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington, so people know where to get help updating or replacing their passport. More information is available on the news section of our website.

Advanced care planning

Liverpool John Moores’ University has partnered with Mersey Care to ensure our patients can shape their own treatment and care with their School of Nursing, Public and Allied Health delivering a programme of learning around advanced care planning.

Now in its second year, the initiative has given 40 health care professionals expert led teaching and hands on learning to support patients in exploring their wishes, priorities and expectations for future treatment in a safe, person centred way. More information is available on the University’s website.

Nursing Assistants training

Another key partnership Mersey Care enjoys is with Hugh Baird College in Bootle who are helping our Secure Care Division train nursing assistants of the future through our apprenticeship programme. Below is the latest cohort as they prepare to graduate and begin their careers with Mersey Care. A new group of apprentices will join us in the autumn.

Important changes to wheelchair and buggy service criteria   

Our Wheelchair Service, covering Liverpool, Knowsley and North Sefton, has introduced important changes to referral routes and eligibility criteria to fully align with NHS national guidance. The guidance states that wheelchairs should only be provided for people with a long term disability or medical condition.

What’s changing:

• People will now be able to self refer using a simple form 

• Clinicians may still refer when clinically appropriate 

• Eligibility criteria has been updated to align with local and national guidance:  

• Users must have a long term (6+ months) disability or medical condition that significantly affects walking 

• Users must need a wheelchair frequently and regularly indoors (more days of the week than not)  

• Wheelchairs and buggies will no longer be provided for social or outdoor only use, rehabilitation, behaviour management or restraint.  

 Who remains eligible: 

• Palliative care patients 

• Patients who require a wheelchair to mobilise safely within a care, day centre or school environment 

• Full time wheelchair users or those with essential seating needs. 

Impact on current users: 

Some people will no longer meet the criteria and will receive letters explaining next steps. 

Support available: 

• Local loan and hire services 

• Private purchase guidance 

• Website signposting. 

GPs are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the updated criteria on our website, to support conversations with patients. If you would like to speak to someone about this decision, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) 0800 328 2941. 

New housing and NHS pilot links home and health to tackle inequalities

Innovative work is continuing with Mersey Care Integrated Care Teams and Prima Housing through the Healthy @ Home pilot, a partnership which brings health and housing together to support tenants to stay well in their own homes. The pilot, which started this month, will explore whether issues such as cold, damp, mould or home safety concerns may be impacting residents’ health and whether additional support could help address these challenges.

Prima Housing has contacted more than 200 residents, inviting them to take part in the pilot. Participants will be offered a holistic assessment delivered by the Integrated Care Team, alongside a home survey undertaken by Prima Housing. While a small number of homes will be identified for detailed intervention, the offer of support is available to all residents living at selected addresses.

This programme represents a national exemplar of best practice, demonstrating how data linkage between health and housing can be used to tackle the root causes of poor health and vulnerable communities.

For more information, please contact: Pat.Mcguinness@merseycare.nhs.uk, Associate Director of Integration, Transformation and Partnerships.

North Mersey Lung Health Programme

The North Mersey Integrated Provider Partnership (NMPP) Lung Health Programme brings together, Alder Hey, Mersey Care and University Hospitals of Liverpool Group to improve lung health for children, adults and families across Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley.

The programme believes improving outcomes requires coordinated action across primary care, local authorities, public health, voluntary, community and faith sector organisations, housing, education, social care, mental health services and community leaders.

Our shared population health ambition

Together, partners aim to shift from reactive care to a system that:

• Understands the needs of service users, patients, carers, staff and partners
• Identifies risks earlier and prevents avoidable deterioration

• Provides seamless support across the life course
• Connects hospital, community and neighbourhood services
• Reduces health inequalities and unwarranted variation.

What will be different?

Working with partners, the programme focuses on:

• Clearer, more consistent pathways and improved communication between organisations

• Earlier identification and proactive intervention
• Stronger links between physical health, mental health, housing and environmental services with better coordination of discharge and follow up support in the community
• Smarter use of shared data, digital tools and joint learning
• More holistic, family and community centred approaches.

If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact: Pat.McGuinness@merseycare.nhs.uk

Our Research

Representing M-RIC at the national mood disorder event

Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) Service User and Carer Representative (SUCR), Jeanette Murray recently attended the mood disorder network event in London, organised by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration Mission. She used it as an opportunity to promote the progress of M-RIC's mood disorder care innovations research, which includes the new Mood Clinic based at Knowsley Resource and Recovery Centre.

New study uses AI to identify public safety learnings from preventable deaths data

M-RIC researchers have published a new study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the way learning is gathered from coroner’s prevention of future deaths reports. This has been led by Sam Osian, a PhD student affiliated with M-RIC and a Data Scientist at Mersey Care. Read more on the M-RIC website.  

M-RIC Youth Voices: Bringing the next generation into mental health research 

M-RIC’s Youth Voices is a research advisory group who provide vital insights to research to help improve future mental health support and care for young people. In her blog, group member Ella Choda, outlines why she joined and shares some of the exciting work undertaken by M-RIC Youth Voices.

Get Involved

Congratulations to our Mersey Cares’ Liverpool Half Marathon runners

On a blustery Sunday in March, a fantastic group of runners came together to take on one of Liverpool’s most iconic road races - the Liverpool Half Marathon to raise vital funds for the Mersey Cares charity.

Among the thousands taking part were Mersey Care staff and members of the public, united in support of our mental health and community services. One participant even raced remotely after being unable to travel due to conflict in the Middle East.

Together they raised over £1,300 to support our work and we are immensely grateful for their support and dedication. More information is available on the Mersey Cares’ website.

Mersey Cares’ Impact Series: Strengthening connections with diverse communities

In our new impact series, we’re sharing some of the positive ways we’re making a difference across our communities. We funded the recruitment of a Carer Engagement Officer through carer’s charity Local Solutions, strengthening connections with diverse communities and supporting culturally sensitive engagement to underrepresented carers across the city region.

Through a programme of events and activities, the engagement officer supported carers by promoting inclusivity and signposting them to essential services and support pathways. More information is available on the charity’s website where you can also read the full Impact Report.

Join Mersey Cares for the Yorkshire Three Peaks

Bring your team together and help us support our mental health and community services in unique and positive ways by taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in June.

This iconic and historic 24.5 mile route through the Yorkshire Dales takes in the three peaks of Pen‑y‑ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, offering a rewarding challenge, spectacular scenery and a real sense of achievement.

• Fully supported by Overlimits Mountain Guides
• Ideal for team building and wellbeing
• Free practice walks and medal of achievement
• £40 deposit – great value.

You can sign up and get more information from the Mersey Cares’ website.

Thanks to the 7F (1st City of Liverpool) Squadron Cadets for aiding our Easter Appeal

Huge thanks to the 7F (1st City of Liverpool) Squadron for helping our Easter Egg Appeal for Children in Care, collecting chocolate treats and gifts for children accessing our services. They personally delivered the items to Norris Green Family Health Clinic in Liverpool, where they had the opportunity to meet the Children in Care team and learn more about their work.

MC Magazine

The Spring 2026 edition of MC Magazine is now available, but there will be changes to how we share our stories about our services, people and communities. We are moving away from producing a printed magazine and our new approach will be digital online. This decision reflects our changing media landscape, rising demand for timely digital content and the evolving needs of our stakeholders, partners and communities.

Our commitment to high quality stories that share our message remains the same. Our focus on features will expand and reach wider audiences more regularly and more effectively on our website and will be promoted across our social media channels.

The Spring issue includes:

• Mossley Hill Hospital - perspectives from staff working in the new state of the art hospital and its impact on patient experience and recovery
• Sustainability and the Green Plan - how Mersey Care is reducing its carbon footprint across clinical and corporate services
• The Life Rooms - how a comedy course has improved confidence, connection and wellbeing
• Nutrition and lifestyle - increasing fibre intake, including a recipe shared by a service user
• Understanding stress - recognising when it becomes harmful and how to manage it effectively
• Breastfeeding support - guidance for when challenges arise
• Creative wellbeing - how origami is supporting both staff and service users through Mersey Cares Charity and our Wellbeing Hub
• Cyber security - practical advice for parents and young people on strengthening digital resilience
• Recovery through movement - the role of physical activity in trauma recovery
• Healthy ageing - promoting independence and activity in later life
• Organ donation - a powerful personal story connected to a Mersey Care member of staff.