So much more than...
In this issue:
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Focu s pit a ls
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Spring 2014
W e lco m e
Welcome to the Spring 2014 issue of
One in 4, our quarterly magazine for our
8,000 staff and public members across
Dudley and Walsall.
We’ve had a really busy few months
preparing for our inspection from the
Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the
regulator for all health and social care
services in England – which took place
in February. We were one of the first
mental health trusts in the country
to be inspected as part of the CQC’s
new inspection regime so it was a new
process for everyone!
Gly n Sh a w
Gary Graha m
If you know someone
who you think would like
to become a member,
you can direct them to:
www.dwmh.nhs.uk/
foundationtrust
Alternatively please
contact the Foundation
Trust office on
01384 324531 or email
[email protected] for
a paper copy.
On behalf of the Board, we would like
to thank all our members who shared
their views with the CQC – taking part
in their listening event or contacting
them with your feedback. We are also
exceptionally proud of our staff for the
way they have handled this assessment,
dealing with the many information
requests we received and welcoming
the assessors in a professional manner,
whilst maintaining a real focus on
patient care.
We expect the CQC’s report on our
Trust to be published in May so we
will share this with you and keep you
updated on our plans to become a
Foundation Trust.
In this issue of One in 4, we find out
more about our Chaplaincy service,
interview a service user about how our
Substance Misuse Service has helped
to turn his life around, and get insight
into what life is like inside our hospitals.
You can also find out more about our
Experts by Experience on page 8.
We are also very grateful to Walsall
Councillor, Richard Worrall, for sharing
his experience of depression and his
inpatient stay at Bloxwich Hospital,
which you can read on pages 8 and 9.
Richard also features on our front cover
with Dr Das and Ward Manager, Jo
Lowery, from Bloxwich Hospital.
If you have any ideas for articles
or would like to contribute to
the magazine, please email
[email protected]
With very best wishes
Gary Graham
Chief Executive
Glyn Shaw
Chairman
Message from the Chair
Dear member
I have taken the difficult decision to step down from my role as Chairman of the Trust
in order to pursue other activities. I am immensely proud to have been Chairman of
such a successful organisation for the last six years and would like to thank all our
members, service users, carers, staff and partners for their continued support.
In May, the Vice Chair of the Board, Dr Stuart Hill, will take over as Chairman for
an interim period until a new Chair is appointed. We will, of course, keep you
informed of the recruitment process.
Wishing you the very best for the future,
Glyn Shaw
2
meet us online at www.dwmh.nhs.uk/foundationtrust
M e nt a l H ea lt h
i n t h e n e ws
Time to Talk Day
Thursday 6th February
was the first ever
Time to Talk Day: 24
hours in which people
started conversations
about mental health,
raised awareness and
shared the message
that mental illness is
nothing to be ashamed
of. The campaign
encouraged people to
take part in the little
things that make a difference – like having a chat over a
cuppa, sending a text or inviting someone out.
Over a thousand events took place in offices, schools,
libraries and even shopping centres across the country.
There’s still time to join in the conversation on Twitter at
#TimetoTalk, where you also can find lots of photos and
links to share.
Find out how the Trust marked Time To Talk Day on page 4.
It’s Time to Change
A Time to Change
survey of almost
5,000 people
with mental
health problems
highlighted how
deep mental health
stigma still exists in
the UK. Over half
said that stigma
and discrimination
associated with
mental health was
as bad as or worse
than the illness itself. More than a quarter waited for over
a year to tell their family about their problem and nearly
a quarter of young people said discrimination and stigma
stopped them going to school.
Find out more and how you can pledge to end mental
health stigma at www.time-to-change.org.uk
Mental health seems to dominate the
headlines more than ever these days.
We’ve summarised some of the latest news
here. You can find out the latest news from
our Trust on pages 4 – 5.
New agreement set to improve
mental health crisis care
A new agreement between police, mental health trusts and
paramedics aims to improve
emergency support
for people in mental
health crises.
The agreement – called
the Crisis Care Concordat
– was launched in
February by Care and
Support Minister Norman
Lamb. Signed by more than
20 national organisations,
it aims to improve standards
of care for people experiencing a mental health crisis and
reduce the number of people detained inappropriately in
police cells.
The agreement includes details on how the emergency
services should respond and challenges local services to
make sure beds are always available for people who need
them urgently. It also encourages services to get better at
sharing essential need-to-know information about patients
which could help keep them and the public safe.
Singing ‘boosts mental health’
Singing in a choir can boost your mental health, according to
a recent study. Researchers carried out an online survey of 375
people who sang in choirs, sang alone, or played team sports.
All three activities yielded high levels of
psychological wellbeing - but choristers
stood out as experiencing the greatest
benefit. Compared with the way sports
players regarded their teams, choral
singers also viewed their choirs as
more coherent or “meaningful”.
Nick Stewart, from Oxford Brookes
University, who led the study, said:
“Research has already suggested that
joining a choir can improve people’s wellbeing. These
findings suggest that feeling part of a cohesive social group
can add to the experience of using your voice to make music.”
Dudley Mind runs the ‘Dudley Feelgood Choir’ which is open
to everyone. Contact Emma Marks on 01384 442 938 if you
are interested in taking part. You can also find your nearest
choir at www.choirs.org.uk
3
Tru st N e w s
Time to Talk
On Thursday 6th February 2014,
we took part in the first ever
‘Time to Talk Day’, a national awareness
day run by mental health charities Mind and Rethink
Mental Illness. The aim of the day was to raise
awareness and reduce stigma by starting some
conversations about mental health. Our Community
Development Workers took over a shop in Dudley
town centre for the day, invited a number of local
organisations to have stalls and encouraged members
of the public to come in and have a drink and a chat.
Stall holders included health trainers, who offered
free BMI checks, and Dudley Rethink Mental Illness,
who provided information and advice around mental
health. Plenty of information and resources on mental
health conditions and local services were on hand for
people to take away. The day was a great success,
with over 200 conversations recorded in total. To find
out more please visit www.time-to-change.org.uk
New Mental Health Forum
Residents of Dudley and Walsall with an
interest in mental health came together in
November to take part in our new Mental
Health Forum.
Service users and carers, statutory bodies, third sector and
community groups joined us to discuss and debate a range
of mental health issues. Two of our trainee psychologists
started off the day with a talk on depression, before the
Trust’s Employment Services provided information on how
they can help mental health service users to get back into
work, with examples of previous success stories.
The day concluded with a presentation called ‘NHS in
the Spotlight’ by Rosie Musson, Head of Nursing, Quality
and Innovation, which looked at the recent Francis and
Winterbourne reports, followed by a roundtable discussion
of what service users and stakeholders feel we can learn
and apply locally. Walsall Citizens Advice Bureau was also
on-hand throughout the day to provide advice on changes
to benefits.
David Orme, one of our members who attended the day,
commented: “It was good to see a wide range of local
organisations in attendance – the more people who get
involved, the better so that information can be shared.”
We are planning our next Mental Health Forum in
Dudley on 28th April. If you are interested in taking
part, please contact our Membership and Engagement
Coordinator, Tracy Cross, on 01384 324531 or email
[email protected]
Your Experience Matters
We are committed to listening to feedback from our service users and carers as it helps us to
provide the very best mental health services.
Our new ‘Your Experience Matters’ posters are displayed across our reception areas highlighting
some examples of where we have listened to feedback and how this has led to improvements
across the Trust. Examples includes creating a new crisis card (see article),
subscribing to web resource ‘Choice and Medication’ and improving privacy for service users.
If you have recently used our services and would like to share your views about your experiences,
please contact the Service Experience Desk at [email protected]
4
Healthcare Assistants take part in
new training programme
Last October, we launched a new training programme for our
Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) and Support Workers. The course
aimed to further improve their skills at caring and interacting
with our service users, as well as offering the opportunity for
reflection and sharing good practice. It also recognised the
valuable work undertaken by HCAs and support workers and
the huge impact they have on the service user experience.
In March, our first cohort of HCAs and support workers
completed the course and were presented with their Certificates
in Fundamental Care by our Chief Executive, Gary Graham.
“Well done to everyone who has completed the course” said
Gary. “The importance of the care provided by our HCAs and
support workers cannot be underestimated and we are proud
to be making such positive progress with this initiative.”
The course has been very well received, with feedback
suggesting that, for some, participation has reignited their
passion for their role. Following our successful first course, we
will continue to roll out the programme to all our HCAs and
support workers over the next year.
Trust’s ECT service rated
as excellent for fourth
year running
The Trust’s Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) service
is delighted to have been accredited as excellent by
the ECT Accreditation Service (ECTAS) for the fourth
year running.
ECT is a brain stimulation technique which is offered
to service users who are suffering from severe
depression as part of their ongoing treatment.
To achieve this accreditation, the service had to
meet all the ECTAS standards for good practice and
high quality care. This included the ECT clinic and
facilities, staff, training and protocols.
Joint Medical Director Dr Mark Weaver
commented: “Receiving this accreditation for the
fourth year running is a fantastic achievement
which demonstrates the high quality services we
provide for our service users. It’s a real credit to the
team who have worked hard to ensure that
this standard is maintained.”
Employment Services meets
local MP
Trust launches
new Crisis Cards
We are pleased to have launched
new pocket-sized fold-out crisis
cards for our service users. The
cards include useful information
to help service users and others
should they experience a mental
health crisis, including numbers
to call and advice on staying
safe in a crisis. They also provide
space for people to write in
personal information and
contact details for their Care
Coordinator and Psychiatrist.
Our Experts by Experience helped to design the
cards, which are available for all our service users. You can
view the crisis cards on our website or request a paper
copy by emailing [email protected]
In February,
members
of our Employment
Services team met
with local MP for
Halesowen and
Rowley Regis and
Chair of the
All-Party Parliamentary Committee for Mental Health,
James Morris MP. They were invited to meet Mr James
to discuss the effectiveness of Individual Placement
and Support (IPS), the approach the Trust uses to help
service users find employment.
Mr Morris set up the meeting as he is keen to raise the
profile of mental health issues in Parliament. As part of
this work, he is writing a report on employment and
mental health that will make recommendations for
future Government policy in this area.
“It was great to meet Mr Morris,” says Employment
Supervisor Adrian Garbett. “We explained to him how
IPS is proven to help get people with mental health
issues into employment. We talked about how our
teams work closely with service users to not only help
them find employment but also provide them with
ongoing support once they are in work.”
If you are a current user of the Trust’s mental health
services and would like help finding work, your Care
Coordinator can refer you to our Employment Services.
5
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Worra ll’s
In 2012, Walsall Councillor Richard
Worrall was diagnosed with severe
depression and later spent time as an
inpatient at Bloxwich Hospital. He is
keen to share his story to help others
who may be suffering from depression
and break down the stigma that still
surrounds mental illness.
Richard at his home
“Ten years ago, I suffered from a bout of
depression” explains Richard. “It was the
run-up to Christmas and a stressful period in
my life. At the time I thought it was horrible
but it was nothing compared to what I
experienced more recently.”
In November 2012, Richard suffered a much more severe
episode of depression. “I can’t put my finger on why
it happened but, looking back, I was experiencing lots
of change in my life. After a break of eight years, I had
recently returned to my role as a local councillor and found
that everything had changed. I also had some relationship
problems and financial worries and I think everything got
on top of me. I wasn’t coping anymore.”
At first, Richard went to see his GP and was prescribed
antidepressants. But the feelings didn’t go away and he
started to have suicidal thoughts. “I lost all concentration
and the ability to think. It turned my personality on its
head and I changed from being a hard working and giving
person to demanding and needy.”
His family became increasingly concerned about him so
he was referred to the Trust’s Older Adult Mental Health
Service at Bloxwich Hospital where he was diagnosed
with severe recurrent depression.
6
in Walsall
Advice on depression
Richard is keen to share the
following advice to people:
• T
here’s no shame in having a
mental illness
• B
e up front with friends or family
about what you’re going through
– they are there to help you out in
difficult times
• If your friend or relative is
feeling down, give them as much
attention as possible. Ask them
how they’re feeling and if you can
do anything to help
• If you are having any feelings of
harming yourself, then you must
talk to your GP or another health
professional.
Staying at Bloxwich Hospital
It was at Bloxwich Hospital that Richard met Dr Chandran
and his team, who he credits for helping him recover.
“Dr Chandran explained that I could access various day
mental health services or admit myself to Bloxwich Hospital.
I realised that something had to happen, but admitting
myself seemed like a drastic solution. However, after trying
the day services and talking it through with my family,
I decided that staying at the hospital would be the best
option for me.”
“I didn’t like the idea of being in hospital but the staff
were really good to me. Throughout my illness, I always felt
involved in decisions about my care and the best pathway
for my recovery. As I started to feel better I was gradually
allowed more freedom, for example, going out for a walk
with a friend or a run. They also allowed for a reflexologist
my son knows to come in and give me some reflexology
sessions.”
After spending six weeks in hospital, Richard was
discharged back home where he says the aftercare was
excellent. A community nurse visited his house and he took
part in a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Course (CBT) which
taught him to manage negative thoughts and feelings.
After several months, he was discharged back to his GP
who organises follow-up visits with Dr Chandran.
Richard now feels that, thanks to the support of his friends
and family and the healthcare he received, he is in a much
better place and is looking forward to the future. “I’m not
back to my old self but pretty much,” he says. “Depression
does leave its mark but you can come back from it. Life
can be so stressful and scary sometimes that it’s no wonder
that depression is so common. It’s easy for me to spot it in
others now and I hope that sharing my experience will
help others.”
Useful websites
www.depressionalliance.org
www.mind.org.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.sane.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/Conditions
/stress-anxiety-depression
www.bigwhitewall.com
www.rethink.org
Depression facts
–Depression is a common mental
disorder that causes people to
experience depressed mood, loss
of interest or pleasure, feelings
of guilt or low self-worth,
disturbed sleep or appetite, low
energy, and poor concentration.
–Depression affects 1 in 5 older
people living in the community
and 2 in 5 living in care homes.
–Anxiety or depression affects
nearly one in five adults in the
UK
–Talking about your feelings,
keeping active and avoiding
alcohol can all help to reduce the
risk of depression
–If your feelings progress beyond
mild or become more persistent
then it’s important that you talk
to your GP
Richard revisits Blo
xwich Hospital to
meet his care tea
m
7
Be co m e a n pe ri e n ce
Ex pe rt by Ex
Our Experts by Experience (EBEs)
represent the interests and views of
local service users and carers across
Dudley and Walsall, with the overall aim
of improving the experiences of people
who use our services. Debbie, Agnes
and Lynne have been EBEs since the
Trust formed in 2008. Here, they talk to
One in 4 magazine about their role..
Why did you want to become involved with the Trust?
Agnes: “I was keen to use my experience of mental illness
to help service users and carers. I also wanted to help reduce
the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health and
signpost people to resources that may help them.”
Lynne: “I wanted a mental challenge and to use the
skills I already have. I have been receiving treatment for
mental illness for a long time and wanted to use my
experience to promote good quality and effective services
for local people.”
Debbie: “Being an EBE allows me to use my own
experience as a carer. I am passionate about making sure
that patients are treated fairly and encouraging them to
speak up and have their say about mental health. I also
wanted to raise awareness among health professionals of
how it feels to be a service user or carer.”
What do EBEs do? What activities have you been
involved with?
Lynne: “We attend and participate in formal meetings
such as the Governance and Quality meeting and support
projects such as Triangle of Care, infection control,
and research and development. We also advise on the
development of policies and patient information and assist
with recruiting new staff.”
Debbie: “Through informal ward visits, patient experience
surveys, focus groups and surgeries, we listen to service
users and carers and feed back their experiences to
managers, ward staff and Heads of Service in order to help
improve services.”
Agnes: “We also regularly meet with service users to talk
about how their recovery is progressing – identifying which
services are more useful than others and what further
support is available.
8
And we
enjoy
supporting
community
Our EBEs Debb
events such
ie, Agnes and Ly
nne
as World
Mental Health Day, Equality and
Diversity awareness and Time to Talk campaigns.”
What part of the role do you enjoy the most?
Agnes: “l enjoy listening to service users and feeding
back any concerns through the relevant committees. It’s also
great when we can see how we’ve helped improve people’s
experiences.”
Lynne: “I enjoy writing reports, discussing findings,
collating feedback from the other EBEs and liaising with
Heads of Service to present reports. I also enjoy listening to
service users and helping them find additional support.”
Debbie: “I find it rewarding when positive outcomes are
achieved as a result of our work. I also like talking to service
users and carers and reassuring them that they are not
alone and that their views really count.”
Could YOU be our
next EBE?
Are you a current mental health
service user?
Have you had experience of using
secondary mental health services?
Are you a carer of someone with a
mental health condition?
If you answer yes to any of these questions and are
interested in sharing your experiences to help shape local
mental health services then why not become an EBE?
The Trust is looking to recruit three EBEs, two for
Walsall and one for the Dudley area.
For more information please contact Tracy Cross,
Engagement & Membership Coordinator, on
01384 324531 or email [email protected]
Celeb rating our
achievements
Trust employee
runner-up at
NHS awards
Debbie Cooper, the
Trust’s Vulnerable Adults
and Children Lead, was
runner-up at the NHS West
Midlands Leadership Recognition Awards.
Debbie was shortlisted for NHS Partnership/ System Leader
of the Year at the prestigious awards, which invited NHS
staff to nominate managers who go above and beyond
their role to help improve patient’s health and experience.
Debbie works tirelessly with partners across Dudley and
Walsall to ensure that the Trust safeguards vulnerable adults
and children in our care. She is passionate about keeping
service users and their families safe and supporting staff to
ensure effective and safe practice.
In other awards news, our finance team was also runner-up
at the Healthcare Management Financial Association (HMFA)
awards, which celebrates excellence in finance departments
in the public sector.
Staff show off their
Christmas jumpers
Staff at our headquarters in Dudley raised £80 for Save
the Children by taking part in Christmas Jumper Day.
Money raised through Christmas Jumper Day helps
Save the Children
to continue to
provide vital
food, healthcare
and education
to children in the
toughest parts of
the world.
Ramp up the Red!
Teams across the Trust ramped up the red on 7th February,
enjoying a dress-down day to raise money for the British
Heart Foundation.
Participants included staff
on Clee Ward at Bushey
Fields Hospital, who raised
£65, and staff at our
headquarters, Trafalgar
House, who donated
over £120 on the day.
Over the last few months, our staff have
been busy fundraising and volunteering
for charities. Here we highlight just
some of their achievements.
Charity cake sale
A charity cake
sale at our
headquarters
organised by
Seema Gayle,
Data Quality
Support Officer,
raised £140.
Along with other
fundraising
activities, Seema has raised a fantastic total of £900 for
The Critical Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Supporting Movember
Male members of staff across the Trust had fun growing
their facial hair to mark ‘Movember’ and raise money for
men’s health. Graeme Welsh and Phil Latham of the Clinical
Governance team
raised over £110, and
Phil Whitehouse, Mark
Whitehouse and David
Gough of the Community
Mental Health Team for
Older People raised a
total of £365.
Helping the homeless
Ian Costello, Drug Worker with Substance Misuse Walsall,
was recently recognised for his work to help the homeless
in Walsall. Ian and his wife
have worked tirelessly
setting up and developing a
local charity called ‘The Big
Feed’. The charity provides
hot food, showers, clean
clothes, food and hygiene
supplies and a safe, homely
environment where clients
can sit and relax in a nonjudgemental atmosphere.
You can find out more on The Big Feed website:
www.thebigfeeduk.moonfruit.com.
9
Help with drug
and alcoh ol problems
Substance misuse is the
continued use of drugs or
alcohol which can lead to
negative consequences
to the individual, their
friends, family and the
community. It can affect
people from all walks of
life – whether you are
young, old, unemployed
or a professional.
Lots of people use drugs and
consume alcohol, but it is only a small
percentage that develops such severe
problems. Suffering from a drug
addiction is a difficult way of life,
and it impacts on almost all areas of
the individual’s health and wellbeing.
However, whilst it is not easy to
overcome drug dependency, people
can and do recover.
Each year the Trust’s Substance
Misuse Service in Walsall helps
hundreds of people recover from
drug and/ or alcohol dependency.
Substance Misuse
Service, Walsall
The Substance Misuse Service,
based at Lantern House, Walsall,
provides a range of communitybased treatments and interventions
including rehabilitation, counselling
and prescribing alternatives to drugs,
with the focus always on recovery.
The multi-disciplinary team includes
drug and alcohol workers, addictions
nurses, counsellors, social workers
and psychiatrists, enabling them to
deal with the full scope of substance
misuse-related problems.
In Walsall and nationally, 15% of
individuals on average recover from
10
substance misuse issues each month.
The treatment a person receives is
only part of the journey - sustaining
recovery is where the hard work
begins. Support groups such as
Narcotics Anonymous run sessions at
Lantern House to help support people
once they have stopped using alcohol
and/or drugs.
If you are a Walsall resident age 18+
or have a Walsall GP, your GP can
refer you to the Walsall Substance
Misuse Service. Alternatively, you can
self-refer by calling 01922 608600
or by dropping into Lantern House,
129/130 Lichfield Street, Walsall
WS1 1SY.
Substance Misuse
Services in Dudley
From April 2014, substance misuse
services in Dudley will no longer
be run by the Trust and will be
provided by CRI, a voluntary sector
organisation. All drugs and alcohol
services for the area will now go
through Atlantic House in Lye.
This new service will be offering
a substitute prescribing service,
counselling services and more for
Dudley residents aged 18+. An under18s service will be run by Cranstoun
at the same location.
If you are a Dudley resident or have a
Dudley GP, you can access the service
by calling 01384 426 120, or by
dropping in to Atlantic House, Thorns
Road, Lye, DY9 8EL.
Support
groups
Talk To Frank
For advice on your drug use,
or if you are concerned about
a family or friend’s drug use.
Contact 0800 77 66 00 or
visit www.talktofrank.com.
Addaction Walsall
Drug and alcohol treatment
charity. Call 01922 646262 or
visit www.addaction.org.uk
Aquarius Dudley
Charity providing advice and
counselling on alcohol and
drugs problems 01384 261267
Drinkline
Free, confidential helpline for
people who are concerned
about their drinking, or
someone else’s.
Call 0800 917 8282
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Helps people recover from
alcoholism. Visit www.
alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Al-Anon
Offers support to the families
and friends of people with
an alcohol problem. Call
their confidential helpline
on 0207 40 30 888 or visit
www.al-anonuk.org.uk
Joey’s story
One person who has benefitted from our Substance
Misuse Service in Walsall is Joey, who was originally
referred to Lantern House over ten years ago to tackle
his addiction to heroin and crack cocaine.
Despite his original reluctance to
kick his addiction, Joey quickly
came to see how he could
get the help that he needed.
“I never came to Lantern
House with a view to stopping
taking drugs, because I was
so involved,” Joey said. “But I
stuck with the service not just
because of what it provided,
but because of the people in
the service.”
Joey, service user,
with Judy Howell,
er
Senior Drug Work
During his time at Lantern
House, Joey’s sessions
included one-to-one
psychotherapy and
counselling sessions,
addressing numerous
painful issues from his past.
“They were invaluable. The
team gave me the kind of
relationships that I’d never
had, which was good for
me and helped me.”
The facts
•It is estimated that 1.6
million adults in England
have some degree of
alcohol dependence, of
which 250,000 are believed
to be moderately or severely
dependent
•Around 1,500 deaths in
England and Wales are
related to drug misuse
•The National Treatment
Agency for Substance
Misuse estimates that there
were 306,000 heroin
and crack users in England
in 2012
•Around 1,000 service users
are currently in treatment
with the Walsall Substance
Misuse Team
With the help of the team, Joey’s drug use and life circumstances have changed
a lot over the year. At the time of this interview, Joey had been off heroin for
over three months. “It’s very rare that I take drugs now,” he says.
Joey credits the team for helping him make changes to his life.
“I don’t want to let down the people who invest so much in me,”
Joey explained. “If someone is willing to take that time and invest it
in me, surely I should try my hardest to show something back for
them, so they can see that the work they’re doing really means
something to people.”
Joey’s journey has been difficult, but he’s made clear progress.
“To someone who’s in the same situation as me, I’d say: come,
try. It really can help,” adds Joey. “When you get involved with
the service, you can see that they can help you and that – if you
really do want to – you can get somewhere.”
If you need help with a drug or alcohol problem, your GP can
discuss your concerns with you, assess the nature of your
problems and help you choose the most appropriate treatment.
They may offer to treat you or might refer you to your local
specialist drug service.
The Walsall Substan
ce Misuse Team
11
Focu s on...
s
e
c
i
v
r
e
s
t
n
e
i
t
a
p
... ou r i n
Arriving at our hospital
It can sometimes be a scary or anxious time for people
when they arrive at a hospital, so our staff work hard
to put patients and their family at ease as best as they
can. Patients are welcomed by a named nurse, who is
responsible for their treatment throughout their hospital
stay. They are then taken through a series of assessments,
which looks at their mental state, physical health and social
situation, as well as identifying any risks to their wellbeing.
Inside our hospitals
Mental health hospitals have improved considerably over
the last 20 years. At Dudley and Walsall, we pride ourselves
on providing person-centred, multi-disciplinary care for our
patients in a clean, safe and positive environment.
We’ve put this article together to give an insight into what
it’s like inside two of our hospitals – Dorothy Pattison
Hospital in Walsall and Bushey Fields Hospital in Dudley
– where we provide inpatient mental health services for
hundreds of adults every year.
Patients are admitted to our hospitals for a wide range
of mental health conditions. “Our aim is to offer patients
a quality service that is tailored to their individual
requirements,” explains Liz Hipkiss, Ward Manager at
Dorothy Pattison Hospital. “Our team of doctors, nurses,
occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers
and community mental health nurses work together
on individual care plans to help achieve recovery for
the patient.”
12
Throughout their stay, patients and their families have
regular meetings with doctors, nurses, occupational
therapy and psychology staff to review their progress and
monitor treatment. A variety of treatment options are
available and these are discussed with patients and their
carers to decide what options are best to help with their
recovery. This can include oral medication, psychological
treatments and Electroconvulsive Treatment (ECT).
“It’s important that we involve patients and their families
in all aspects of their care,” adds Liz. “Part of our role is
to support patients and their families in making informed
choices about their treatment options. This is achieved
through a process known as the Triangle of Care, which is
a way of ensuring that everyone is involved.”
Patients are also offered exercise sessions and a wide range
of activities, including games, healthy
lifestyle
sessions,
baking
and arts
and craft
sessions.
Working towards recovery
The length of time a patient stays in our hospital is based
on their individual needs and can vary from a few days
to more than a year.
Sometimes, it may take
longer for a patient to
recover or they may
need to stay in one of
our hospitals for more
than one occasion.
“We are committed
to working with
patients to help them
recover so they can
be discharged from
hospital as soon as
they are well enough,” explains Liz. “Wherever possible,
we allow patients to spend time with their friends or
relatives away from the ward - for a few hours to start
with, then gradually longer periods until it is agreed that
the individual is well enough to be discharged. Our Home
Treatment team or Community Recovery Team will then
take over the patient’s care and support them in their own
home, until this is no longer required.”
Improving the environment
The environment of our hospitals is very important to us and,
over the last few years, our Estates Team have worked hard
with hospital staff to improve our buildings and facilities.
“We now have new assessment suites at both hospitals and
have recently refurbished Dorothy Pattison Hospital, moving
one of the wards downstairs to improve ventilation and
provide patients with access to an outside space,” says Liz.
“We’ve also replaced our windows to improve ventilation
and safety and changed to vinyl flooring to create a safer,
cleaner environment.”
New patient screens and
hospital welcome packs
Keeping patients in the picture
We always work with our Experts by Experiences to ensure
we provided high quality services that are tailored to
our patients’ and carers’ needs. With their help, we are
currently working to refresh our Hospital Welcome Packs,
which include all the information patients and carers need
throughout their stay in hospital. We have also recently
invested in new information screens on our hospital wards,
which let patients know who is on duty and what the
menu is that day, plus key health and Trust messages.
13
Supportin g our patie nts’
s
d
e
e
n
l
a
u
it
spi r
When you’re staying in hospital, it can be
a time when you reflect on your faith, find
comfort in spirituality, or discover or reconnect
with a religion. At Dorothy Pattison Hospital,
Reverend Alison Coles and her team of
chaplains provide a multi-faith chaplaincy
service for our patients.
Alison’s team, who are based at The Manor Hospital in
Walsall, are made up of nine chaplains who represent the
wide range of faiths within the local community. Alison
and her colleague, Denis, are Church of England chaplains
who visit the hospital two afternoons a week. Patients can
also request to see a Catholic chaplain, Muslim Imam (for
Muslim men), female Muslim chaplain, Sikh chaplain or a
Hindu chaplain.
“Most of our time is spent listening to patients and
supporting them in whichever way we can” explains
Alison. “Patients talk to us about all sorts of things – it
could be about what is going on in their life or about their
religion. They may want to off load their feelings or talk
about a loved one they are thinking about.”
As part of their visit, they hold a weekly service at the
hospital in which all patients are invited to attend. Patients
are encouraged to take part in the service, which includes
prayers, hymns, bible readings plus time for reflection.
In addition, the chaplaincy service offers a 24 hour oncall service for patients who want to see a chaplain in an
emergency, for example if they are in distress.
Juliet, a patient at Dorothy Pattison, has befriended Alison
for a number of years. “Talking to Alison has been very
helpful to me” says Juliet. “Religion is important to me so
it’s good that I can attend a church service when I’m
in hospital.”
Another patient, Marie, added: “My faith has helped
me through bad times and helped me to get better.
The chaplains offer a good service for people.”
Alison’s colleague, Reverend Mark Stobert, is based at
Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley and provides a similar
chaplaincy service to patients at Bushey Fields Hospital.
“We regularly visit patients at Bushey Fields Hospital,
listening to them and offering them support and
reassurance,” says Mark. “As the two hospitals are next to
each other, it’s easy for one of us to pop over or patients
are welcome to come across to us if they can.
We also offer support to staff following
a critical incident and take part in
junior doctors’ training.”
Alison spending time with patient Juliet
14
C o f fe e Brea k
Mental Health Quotes
Let us not look back in
“anger
or forward in fear, but
around in awareness.
”
James Thurber
with most people is
“thatThetheytrouble
think with their hopes or
1
fears or wishes rather than with
their minds.
3
Will Durrant
4
”
normal people are the
“onesTheyouonlydon’t
know very well.
”
2
5
Joe Ancis
only we’d stop trying to
“beIfhappy
we’d have a pretty
good time.
”
Which pattern continues or completes the given series?
?
Example
Edith Wharton
a
b
c
d
e
is a way of travel,
“notHappiness
a destination.
”
Roy Goodman
6
?
a
b
c
d
are only two tragedies in life:
“oneThere
is not getting what one wants,
and the other is getting it.
”
e
Oscar Wilde
7
?
a
c
b
d
e
“Do. Fail. Learn. Do.”
Henrik Edberg
Your mind is a dangerous
“neighbourhood
and you shouldn’t
go in there alone at night.
”
Using the given pattern and codes,
select the code that matches the last pattern
Christine Northrup
AY AX CZ
Example
a
AX
AY
BZ
CY
BX
b
c
BZ
BY
d
e
?
of worry is more exhausting
“thanA day
a week of work.
”
John Lubbock
8
AF BE CF
a
AD
AE
CE
BF
b
c
CD BD
d
e
Failure is the condiment that
“gives
success its flavour.
”
Truman Capote
is like riding a bicycle:
“toLife
keep your balance, you must
keep moving.
”
?
Albert Einstein
5. Reading between the lines 6. d 7. e 8. d
3. High chair 4. Mind over matter
15
Answers
1. Man overboard 2. Crossroads
Be i nvo lved -r
be a m e m be
We are currently
applying for NHS
Foundation Trust
status. As an NHS
Foundation Trust,
our service users,
carers, staff and
members of the
public can become ‘members’
of the Trust. This means you can be involved in shaping the
future of your mental health care services and help us to
reduce the stigma around mental illness.
As a member you can:
•Come along to our events to help raise awareness of
mental health in our communities
•Participate in consultations and feed back your views on
our services
• Receive regular information about the Trust
• Join in our membership events
We would love to welcome you as a new member of our
Trust. For more information, visit www.dwmh.nhs.uk/
foundationtrust, contact the Membership Office on
01384 324531 or email [email protected] to request a
membership form.
Contact Us
Online: www.dwmh.nhs.uk
Email: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter
@DWbetter2gether
Dudley & Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS
Trust Public Membership by Constituency
Dudley
Walsall
Rest of England/
Rest of Black Country/
Out of Trust Area
Dates for your diary
Events in Dudley
•
Dudley Carers Forum Open to all carers in the
Dudley borough. Meets on the following days:
Halesowen – 10:30am-12:30pm 1st Tues of the month
Stourbridge – 10:30am-12:30pm 2nd Tues of the month
Coseley – 10:30am-12:30pm 3rd Wed of the month
For more information contact Sarah Hill on 01384
358313 or [email protected]
•
Carers Week is 9th – 15th June. Sign up to Dudley
Carers Network e-bulletin or postal newsletter to be
kept informed of news and events by calling 01384
818723 or emailing [email protected]
•
Dementia Cafe Meets 2-4pm on 2nd Tuesday of
each month at Unit 53, Pesnett Estate, Kingswinford.
Contact: 0121 521 3020.
•
Public Trust Board 3pm – 5pm Wednesday 7th May
at Oak Room, Himley Hall, Himley Park, Dudley DY3 4DF.
•
Try Sailing: Saturday 17th May: Short, free ‘taster’
sessions on the Great Pool at Himley Park with a
qualified Y.R.A. instructor. Booking is essential to
ensure a place. Please call 07774 818449.
Events in Walsall:
• P
ublic Trust Board 3pm -5pm Wednesday 2nd April
at The Boardroom, 1st floor, Canalside House,
Abbotts Street, Bloxwich, Walsall, WS3 3BW
• Circle of Friends Friendship group for parents/ carers
of children who have a learning disability. Every
Tuesday, 6pm – 9pm at Brownhills & Walsall Wood
Fellowship Hall. Contact:@ 01543 375601
• Mental Health First Aid Course Open to all nonmental health or social care professionals, carers and
service users. Courses are held on 17th / 24th April and
17th / 24th July at Darlaston Health Centre, Pinfold
Street, WS10 8SY. Costs £50 per person. For more
information contact Lifestyle Link on 01922 444044.
• Saturday Family Fun 10.30am - 11.30am Saturdays
at Family Fun at Surestart Darlaston. Come along and
join in this fun session. Increase your physical activity and
try something new! Zumba games Circuits flexi yoga
challenges. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Free swimming for 16s and under: Available at
Walsall Council leisure centres. Visit www.walsall.gov.uk
for more information.
• Walsall Dementia Cafes: The Dementia Cafe support
groups allow people with dementia and carers to meet
in a safe and welcoming environment. The groups run
monthly across Aldridge, Pelsall, Blakenall, Brownhills,
Willenhall, Walsall and Bloxwich. For more information,
call 07793 699 141 or email walsalldementiacafes@
accordha.org.uk