Introduction

This booklet has been written by patients and carers to help you better understand your admission to hospital. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the ward and hope your stay with us will be as comfortable as possible.

Our inpatient services provide 24 hour care for patients who need intensive support managing their mental illness. The aim of our service is to help patients become well enough to return to living in their local community, whether that’s in their own home or in a nursing/care home.

We try to make sure our wards are welcoming and relaxed and will always work to make sure you’re treated with compassion, dignity and respect.

Being admitted to hospital can be a very worrying and anxious time, particularly if it’s your first admission, or if you are here against your wishes. However, there are times when coming into hospital may be the best option. People are admitted to hospital to receive 24 hour assessment and treatment for their mental health needs, which may not have been possible whilst they were living at home.

There may be many questions you want to ask about your illness, your stay in hospital and the treatment and care you receive. Please don’t hesitate to ask a member of the ward team any questions or concerns that you or your carer/family/significant others may have. They will be please to help and reassure you.

If you feel unable to do this for yourself, we can always ask for an independent organisation like Advocacy to become involved and act on your behalf. Please discuss this option with a member of the ward team who will refer you to Lancashire Advocacy. If you are under section of the Mental Health Act you will already have been referred to them as a matter of course, but can opt out if you wish.

The unit telephone number is:

Hurstwood 01254 283 012

How do I contact people and how do they contact me?

If someone wishes to contact you they can phone the ward office and a member of staff will take the phone call. They will then encourage them to phone you on the ward telephone.

Useful names and contact phone numbers

(Please ask the people who are involved in your care to write their name and phone number)

Accommodation

Hurstwood is a mixed-sex ward and we have six beds for male patients and 6 beds for female patients with ensuite bathrooms. There are also lounge areas you can access that are single sex (for men or women only).

Our recreation rooms and dining rooms are areas where everyone can mix together. Quiet areas are also available for patients who wish to spend time alone, or with relatives. We will always try to respect your rights to privacy although this will be balanced against your social and mental health needs.

Spiritual needs

Ministers of any religion may visit the ward and this can be arranged on your behalf if you ask. A private room will be made available on request.

Visiting arrangements

Family and friends are welcome to visit the ward. If you are comfortable with involving them in your care and treatment, your Named Nurse will be glad to make sure that they are invited to ward meetings and are as involved as you wish them to be. Your Named Nurse and the other members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (see Glossary for more information) involved in your care will be very willing to meet your carers, families and friends and work closely with you and with them.

Visiting times

Visitors are very welcome on the ward. Visiting is normally limited to afternoons and evenings avoiding meal times (please check with ward staff). We understand that sometimes people may not be able to visit at the times given by the ward. To arrange visits outside of these times, your visitor should contact the ward in advance by telephone and ask to speak to the Nurse in Charge. However, all visiting must end by 8pm.

We ask visitors not to attend if they are suffering from any infection, especially covid, colds, flu, diarrhoea and/or vomiting or any childhood viruses such as mumps or chickenpox etc.

Are children able to visit the ward?

A child is classed as anyone under 18 years of age. Children are only able to visit the ward by prior arrangement from the Nurse in Charge. An adult must accompany them at all times and visits will take place in a room away from the main body of the ward.

Use of cameras

Please do not use any photographic equipment (this includes mobile phones) whilst on the ward. This is to safeguard all patients’ privacy and dignity.

Visiting may be refused on occasions for health and safety reasons. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Why am I here?

Our staff will take time to give you a full explanation of the personal circumstances of your admission to hospital and the type of treatment and care you can expect to receive from our organisation. If for any reason you do not understand out explanations, or find you cannot remember any aspects of what is discussed, please speak with a member of staff and they will arrange for a member of the team to go through things with you. This allows you to ask any further questions and help you to better understand what has been said.

The care we provide is based on the principals that:

  • Each person is unique and individual

  • Each individual should be at the centre of their own journey

  • Every person has the right to participate in their own care plan

  • Every person has the right to challenge their own care plan

The admission process

Whether your admission has been planned or is an emergency, you can expect the following things to happen within the first 24 hours:

  • On your ward you will have a “Multi-Disciplinary Team” of health care professionals, responsible for looking after you and organising your care whilst you are in hospital. You will be allocated a Registered Nurse, who will be responsible for your nursing care. This is the key person to assist you and your carer, family and friends. This person is known as your Named Nurse and they lead a group of nursing staff and health care support workers of different grades that aim to help you with all aspects of your nursing care. When your Named Nurse is not on duty, any queries you may have can be addressed to the Nurse in Charge.

  • The nursing staff or the Ward Doctor will take your personal details and history from you.

  • In order for us to provide care for every patient as an individual, we will need to check some information with you such as your age, religion and ethnic origin as well as questions about gender, disability and sexual orientation. This is to ensure that all of your needs are met, not only your nursing/medical needs but also spiritual and cultural needs.

  • You may have dietary requirement, dress codes and cultural practices that are important to you and your family. Your Named Nurse will have some knowledge of these and will discuss your particular needs with you. However, they may not be aware of all your requirements. Please let them know what you need and they will do their best to make sure that your requirements are met.

  • Staff will also ask when they first meet you, how you wish to be addressed. Please ensure that your wishes are met and that you are addressed by your preferred name.

  • You will be given a blue wristband, which will allow entry into your allocated bedroom. This will be provided to you on admission to the ward for you to wear during your hospital stay and returned back to the ward on the point of discharge.

  • You will also have a photograph taken for identification purposes. This will assist our staff in helping to maintain your safety.

Help us to help you

Please ensure you tell staff if you:

  • Have any allergies

  • Have any medical problems

  • Have had a recent infection, e.g. gastro-enteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting) or any serious infections in the past, such as TB

  • Have been taking medicines

  • Need someone to deal with your immediate personal concerns

  • Need someone to deal with your social security benefits, pensions or allowances

  • Have any valuables or money to be locked away

  • Have any outpatient clinic appointments that you will miss while are in hospital, including any hospital transport that has been arranged

  • Have any appointments for the dentist, opticians, podiatrist

  • Have any concerns about how you will look after yourself when you are discharged from hospital

  • Need help to control/stop your smoking during your stay

Please let the team know the person(s) you wish to be kept informed of any change in your condition whilst in hospital.

We appreciate that going through this process can cause you distress and anxiety – you are in a strange place, being asked a lot of questions by people you do not know. If this makes you feel worse, do let the staff know how you are feeling. Do not be afraid to ask them to interrupt the process until you feel better.

Students on the wards

This Trust like most other NHS organisations in this region, participates in clinical training of undergraduate medical and other students. This frequently involves the presence of students during consultations and examinations.

By accepting their presence you can make a valuable contribution towards the professionals of tomorrow. Your wishes in this matter, however, will always be respected and you should feel quite free to mention the matter to a member of staff if you feel that you would rather not participate in the undergraduate training.

Staff Identification

All staff working for this Trust in this hospital, should be carrying photographic identification badges and some may also be wearing a name badge. Please feel free to ask to see the identification badge of anyone who comes to see you.

You will find photographs of your ward team on the notice board.

What happens when I arrive on the Ward?

Your Named Nurse will introduce you to other people on the ward, this includes staff and fellow patients. They will also show you around the ward and to the bedroom that will be yours.

Too many personal items make it difficult for staff to keep the area around your bed clean, so please keep them to a minimum and arrange for suitcases/ large bags to be taken home until you require them for your discharge.

If you have any concerns at all, don’t hesitate to discuss with the ward staff who will answer any of your questions or concerns.

Your property

For the health and safety of all people on the ward, some items may be returned home with your relative/carer if they are considered harmful to you or others (e.g. medicines, either prescription and over the counter, alcohol or sharp objects). We encourage you not to bring items of value, but if you do have something with you, this can be deposited in the Ward safe at the earliest opportunity.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is unable to accept responsibility or liability for patients’ property brought into the premises, unless it is handed in for safe custody and a copy of an official patients’ property record is obtained as a receipt.

Please feel free to bring in any items that make you feel comfortable in your surroundings e.g. photographs etc. However, we would advise you to have laminated photocopies as originals could get spoiled or lost. Please do not bring any items into hospital that you value either financially or for sentimental reasons, as we are unable to guarantee that they will not get damaged or lost.

Types of admission

People will be admitted to the ward either voluntarily or subject to detention under the Mental Health Act 1983. However, a small number of people are subject to detention under the Mental Health Act 1983. If so, your rights will be explained to you, both verbally and in writing.

If you are subject to the Mental Health Act and you or your carers/relatives/ friends have any questions about your treatment or rights, do not hesitate to approach a member of staff who will be pleased to help you.

If you wish to appeal against your detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 at any time, you should put this in writing and hand it to the nursing staff. They will help you to write this appeal if you wish or will, with your permission contact an Independent Mental Health Advocate who will act on your behalf. (Advocates take action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain the services they need).

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission is an independent body overseeing the application of the 1983 Act. The address for writing any concerns you have is

Care Quality Commission

CQC National Customer Service Centre Citygate

Gallowgate Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4PA

Phone number: 03000 616161

More information is available on the CQC website.

However, we would ask that you approach the Ward Manager in the first instance, so that your concern may be sorted out at local level.

Mental health

Within 24 hours you will be seen by a Doctor and a Nurse. They will talk to you about the problems you have been experiencing and what can be done to help you feel better. We use what you tell us to help us decide the type of support, care and treatment we can provide.

Mental health care is carried out according to the “Integrated Care Coordination” process, often called a CPA (Care Programme Approach). Mental health services will assess an individual’s needs, plan ways to meet

these and check that they are being met. With this booklet you will have been given a separate Department of Health leaflet “Making the CPA work for you” which explains this briefly, but you can also request a much more detailed fact sheet.

Your care will be reviewed at a Care Programme Approach (CPA) review. This is a formal meeting involving the team of staff involved in your care. You and your carer, family and friends will be involved in this process unless you tell us otherwise.

Physical health

Your physical health is equally important, as this can sometimes impact on your mental health. The Doctor will check your physical health and will arrange some routine checks, such as blood and urine tests. They will also ask you about your general health and activities of daily life such as sleeping, mobility (history of falls), food, drinking and smoking. They will also ask if you have had or are having any treatment for illness, for example diabetes or high blood pressure.

It is felt that your physical health needs are more serious than your mental health needs and the Doctor may refer you to a general hospital for tests or treatment. This can sometimes mean being transferred to another hospital by ambulance, to ensure that you are safely monitored during transfer.

Staff from your ward will stay in touch with you whilst you are in the general hospital and will make sure that your mental health needs are being attended to.

Assessment

Staff will talk to you to assess your physical, social, psychological and recovery needs. This assessment will continue on an on-going basis throughout your stay.

The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) will review your care on a regular basis. If you have any questions regarding the care you are receiving, your Named Nurse can arrange for you to speak to an appropriate member of the team. With your consent, this can also be arranged for your carer or next of kin.

Following your initial assessment, you should be involved in the development of your written care plan. This outlines your care and treatment and names one person who will be your Care Coordinator. This care plan will be reviewed regularly. If you want support in meetings where the plan is being discussed, you can invite your carer, family or friend or advocate.

Your treatment

We want to make sure that you understand your treatment and why it is needed. Before you receive any treatment, the person treating you will explain what he or she is recommending and answer any questions you may have before gaining your confidence to continue.

If you have any specific wishes about your treatment e.g. if you have an Advance Decision, please inform a member of the nursing or medical team so that you can discuss its contents, where it is kept and how our staff can access it. This also applies to Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Medication

All the medication you take must be prescribed by the hospital. It will be supplied by the Pharmacist and administered by Registered Nurses at the times prescribed.

Prescribed medication

If you are taking any medication that has been prescribed by your GP for your physical or mental health then you should bring this into hospital with you.

This includes inhalers, eye drops, creams/lotions, as well as blister packs or compliance aids. These should be in their original containers and should be handed to a member of the nursing staff on your admission to the ward.

The Doctor (or Nurse Prescriber) may prescribe medication as part of your treatment to help you feel better. Please inform him/her if you have any known allergies or have had any adverse reactions to any medicines in the past. If you would like some facts about the medication you are on, you can ask your Named Nurse or the Pharmacist for a leaflet.

Medicines are given out at the times prescribed. Medicines affect different people in different ways, be aware that it can have negative as well as positive effects and report any symptoms you notice immediately.

Talk to the nursing staff about your medication; ask them anything you want to know about it. Although nurses will often be very knowledgeable, be prepared to ask for further information if you need it.

Our hospital Pharmacists are available to deal with any medication-related queries you or your carer, family or friends may have during your admission. Please ask a member of staff to arrange for them to come and see you if required.

Observation

While you are on the ward part of your on-going treatment will be observation by ward staff. Some people will require higher levels of observation than others. This is to ensure you are safe and well during your stay. There are different levels of observation some people will be checked intermittently while for others it may be every hour and for some people a member of staff is with them at all times.

What is a Multi-Disciplinary Team Meeting?

This is an important weekly informal meeting between you and the team looking after you, to discuss your progress and future care.

This is one of the key points in the weekly routine because decisions are being taken about you. This is usually when you can see your Consultant, together with your Care-Coodinator and the rest of the M.D.T. The team will discuss your needs and you will be invited to talk to them too.

Unfortunately, this meeting can feel overwhelming for some people as there can be a number of people present and you may not have met them all before. Do not be afraid to ask people to introduce themselves or ask for a smaller meeting to be arranged.

It is a good idea to prepare a list of things you want to say in advance.

Therapies

Your Named Nurse will work with you to identify your needs and develop a treatment plan that helps you participate in everyday activities. As part of your treatment plan they may recommend that you participate in therapeutic activities run by other professionals. Your Named Nurse and Occupational Therapist and/or Activity Assistant will be happy to discuss these with you, if you have any concerns.

Ward activities

The wards organise activities for you to get involved in for example; music, board games and arts and crafts. There should be a programme detailing the type of activity on offer and when it will occur. Please ask your Named Nurse or Activity Assistant for more details.

Bathing arrangements

On all wards there are separate bathrooms for males and females. Please talk to nursing staff when you wish to have a bath or shower and they will organise this for you.

Safety and Privacy

There may be a lot of different people with different conditions and at different stages of their illnesses at any given time on the ward. Some may be feeling very distressed and others could be withdrawn or very active. If you do not feel safe, or another patient is annoying or harassing you, tell the staff immediately.

Why can I not smoke?

The ward is completely smoke free. There are no designated areas for patients, visitors or staff to smoke on the hospital grounds. If you wish to be prescribed Nicotine Replacement Therapy, please discuss this with your ward team.

Diet

Mealtimes are an important feature of the ward routine.

On the ward a varied menu is available mindful of religious and/or cultural needs and special diets. The hospital provides three meals a day, a menu system is operated and you will be asked your meal choices for the following day.

Most wards will not provide a cooked breakfast, but lunch and the evening meal should be substantial. As the evening meal is often quite early, wards will also offer a supper of tea, toast, biscuits or even sandwiches nearer bedtime.

If you need a special diet, have a food allergy or do not like the meal choices, you or your carer, relative or friend can ask one of the nurses if they can arrange for another meal option. Also, tell one of the nurses if you have a condition for example arthritis or visual difficulties that may contribute to you having problems eating and drinking.

A water cooler is available on all wards so that you can have access to a cold drink whenever you want one.

Please let staff know if you are hungry or thirsty and they will arrange something to eat or drink outside set meal times.

Carers, family and friends are discouraged from bringing pre-prepared foods into hospital due to environmental health regulations. This is for your safety and that of other patients within the ward area, as we have no facilities. If you are bringing food in for a relative to eat while you are with them, please ensure nursing staff are kept informed, as they may need to know what some patients have eaten as part of their on-going assessment.

Laundry

The washing is carried out by the housekeeper on the ward.

Security

Our wards cater mainly for older men and women experiencing mental health problems. The main doors to our ward have a fob locking system for health and safety reasons, but if it is appropriate patients can go out with staff, carers or relatives, or alone if they wish. Details of this will be written in your care plan, which will be discussed between you and your Named Nurse or their representative on a weekly basis.

There are regular fire alarm tests. You will hear the alarm sound and it will stop after about 15 seconds. Please ask staff if the alarm continues to sound at any time, it is not a test. Please make sure you listen to instructions from the ward staff.

There are a range of security measures in place, including CCTV cameras to monitor external doors and specialist windows to stop the windows being opened wide. Everyone entering or leaving the ward is asked to sign the register sheet, which is located near the entrance of the ward.

Discharge

As part of your recovery plan, your discharge will usually be a graduated process. This may include giving you periods of day leave enabling you to build on your confidence before being discharged from Hospital.

If you, your carer, family or friends are concerned about your ability to cope at home, please ask the nursing staff to arrange an appointment with the Social Worker and/or Care Coordinator.

We aim to discharge people from hospital as soon as the team caring for you feel your assessment/treatment is complete and it is safe to do so.

You and your carer, family or friends will be provided with all the necessary information, to help you make decisions about your discharge and plan your future care needs.

If for any reason you are unable to return to your own home and you are waiting for a place in a residential or nursing home, staff will discuss options available to you if a bed is not available in your home of choice.

Providing feedback on your experience

Each ward has a monthly meeting that lasts for up to an hour. This meeting is an opportunity to anonymously feedback your experience of the service that is being provided. We would like to know if it is meeting your needs and these meetings give you that opportunity. Please ask staff on the ward that you have been admitted to regarding their arrangements for holding these meetings. Although the choice is yours, you are encouraged to get involved as it is an opportunity for you to have your say and make a difference.

Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire

We would appreciate your views and opinions about your stay in hospital, as this will inform future developments of the service. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire on discharge.

Friends and Family Test

The Trust has launched an initiative to improve the quality of patient experience through collecting service user feedback on all the Trust’s services.

The ‘Friends and Family Test’ asks a simple question of how likely you are to recommend our service to your friends or family, if they required similar care or treatment. The question will form part of a Patient Experience Questionnaire, which covers some of the core components of service user experience.

Translated material

Information in different languages is available in the Hospital either through audiotapes or reading material. Please see the nursing staff if you require this service.

Customer care

We are continually trying to improve our services to you, so it is important that we listen to what you have to say about your care and treatment.

Most problems you experience in hospital can be discussed with the nursing staff on duty. If you are unhappy about any aspect of your care, please talk to your Named Nurse when the problem first occurs.

If you have any compliments/complaints/concerns let us know through the Ward Manager or Modern Matron in the first instance, as most difficulties can be resolved at ward level.

If you are not satisfied, it is also your right to make a formal complaint and to have it fully investigated and the results reported back to you. If you wish to make a written complaint about services provided by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, please address your letter to;

Customer Care

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust PO Box 592

Sceptre Way Bamber Bridge Preston

PR5 6ZX

Tel: 01772 695315

Freephone: 0808 144 1010

Glossary

Who is who in the ward team?

Mental Health Workers come from a variety of different backgrounds. They usually work within a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to provide care and support to people with mental health problems, carers and families. The Multi-Disciplinary Team is made up of the following staff:

Advocate

An advocate is independent of the ward and Trust. They can listen to you and your carer in confidence. They can speak up for you if you are not happy with the services you, or your carer are receiving. Advocates can also put you in touch with other people who are able to help you and provide support at meetings.

Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)

Created in 2007, this role replaced the Approved Social Worker. Approved Mental Health Professionals can be Social Workers, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists or Psychologists. They have had additional training to allow them to carry out duties under the Mental Health Act, for example the sectioning of people who need to be admitted to hospital.

Care Coordinator

As part of the Care Programme Approach (CPA), patients are assigned a Care Coordinator. The role of the Care Coordinator is to be the link between those using mental health services and the care team helping them. The Care Coordinator can by any member of the care team. They are the main point of contact if you have any questions or concerns.

Care Manager

A Care Manager is responsible for assessing a person’s social care needs and for arranging delivery of Community Care Services within available resources. Care Managers work within Social Services Departments and organise community care for many different client groups. When arranging services for people with mental health problems, they often work as part of a Community Mental Health Team. Their role is to carry out the local authority’s duties under the NHS and Community Care Act (1990). This is called “care management”. The Care Manager differs from a Care

Coordinator (see above) and to avoid a conflict of interest, he or she should not be involved in direct service delivery, nor carry managerial responsibility for the services a care coordinator arranges. Care Managers can come from statutory or voluntary organisations.

Community Mental Health Nurses (CMHN)

Known as Community Mental Health Nurses or practitioners, a CMHN is a Registered Nurse with specialist training who works in the community. Attached to Community Mental Health Centres and/or to Mental Health Units. Most work as part of a Community Mental Health Team. The role of the CMHN can be wide and may include; counselling or anxiety

management, exploring different coping strategies with people with acute short-term difficulties, working with people who have had severe mental health problems for many years and require long-term support to enable them to establish a rewarding life in the community or administering psychiatric drugs for example; injections.

Consultant Psychiatrist

A Consultant Psychiatrist is a trained doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating people with mental health problems. A psychiatrist will examine the different factors that may have contributed to a mental health problem. They have overall responsibility for assessment, care and treatment. When admitted to the ward, patients are allocated a Consultant Psychiatrist for the duration of their stay.

Core Trainee Doctors (CT1, CT2 & CT3)

These doctors have completed a Foundation programme (this may have included a psychiatric placement). They will then have been accepted onto a Deanery-run Psychiatric Training Scheme. This comprises of a three year rotation (CT1,2 and 3) of two six month placements per year, during which they are part of the local shift rota. Most CT doctors will have some psychiatric experience, although the level will vary significantly.

Discharge Liaison Nurse

These nurses work very closely with you and the other significant people in your life, offering advice and support around your admission and discharge. They can also provide guidance and sign posting to appropriate partnership agencies. They aim to iron out any difficulties in the discharge process by identifying early on any issues such as housing or care/family problems and attempt to settle or work with these issues so that they don’t cause you to be in hospital longer than you need to be.

Foundation Doctors (FY1 & FY2)

After graduating from medical school, doctors enter a Foundation programme, which is comprised of six four month postings, one of which may be in psychiatry.

Rapid Intervention and Treatment Team (RITT)

Rapid Intervention and Treatment Team (RITT) is an integral part of the adult secondary care mental health service, with a key focus on older adults with a severe and enduring mental health need. Functioning as a multidisciplinary team, they focus on hospital prevention and supporting timely discharge from hospital to the clients’ home or other place of residence. RITT offers extensive short term support and effective, timely intervention in older adults with mental illness aimed at improving the quality of life for themselves and their carers’. It promotes independence, social inclusion, reducing morbidity and improves the outcome in physical ill health and the need for emergency hospital admission. The team provide a liaison service for care homes enabling assessment, support and training for staff so that they understand the needs of the people they are dealing with, who may have Dementia or other mental health difficulties. They can also provide information and support for service users/family and friends, as well as referral into the service for those who may require it. The team can also provide increased support available out of hours for patients, which means more patients can be cared for in the community as opposed to an inpatient setting. Benefitting patients and carers by avoiding unnecessary admission, loss of independence and isolation from family/friends.

Modern Matron

The role of a Modern Matron is to ensure that the patients’ experience is the most effective and efficient it can be. They are senior Registered Nurses – who provide leadership for the nursing teams in groups of wards. They demonstrate to other nurses the high standards NHS patients can expect; they are also responsible for driving up the standards of care, ensuring continuous improvement in nursing care and making sure every patient gets quality care.

Named Nurses and Associate Nurses

A Named Nurse is responsible for the nursing care of a patient during their stay. An Associate Nurse will also work with the patient, especially when the Named Nurse is off-duty. Named Nurses are sometimes referred to as Primary Nurses or Key Nurses. These terms all describe the qualified nurse specifically responsible for a patients’ nursing care.

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Occupational Therapists help patients maintain or revive skills and interests by encouraging participation in purposeful activities. These varied groups or one-to-one sessions focus on activities that have been of interest to the person in the past or support a desire to try something new.

Occupational Therapists also help patients to resume or maintain personal care, cooking, shopping and housework routines via home assessments and community visits. If the need for equipment to assist with moving around the home more confidently and safely is identified eg: (grab rails, frames around the toilet or bathing equipment) the OT will arrange for these to be provided.

PALS Officer

PALS stand for the Patient Advice and Liaison Service. PALS Officers act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and where appropriate, relevant organisations to negotiate immediate or prompt action.

Pharmacist

Pharmacists are experts in medicines and how they work. They play a key role in providing quality healthcare to patients. Working in the community, primary care and hospitals, Pharmacists use their clinical expertise together with their practical knowledge to ensure the safe supply and use of medicines by patients and members of the public.

Physiotherapists

The Physiotherapist provides individual assessment with a focus on mobility, balance and in particular considers the risk of falls. Group exercise sessions and relaxation sessions are regularly provided. Physiotherapy interventions aim to increase mobility and confidence levels in preparation for discharge.

Psychologist (Clinical Psychologist)

Clinical Psychologists are qualified Psychologists who have taken specialist doctoral (or equivalent) training in mental health problems. They offer a wide range of specialist psychological assessments and treatments for people experiencing mental health difficulties, for example neuropsychological assessment for memory problems and cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and/or depression.

Social Worker

A Social Worker is usually involved in meetings on the ward in order to contribute to the assessment of your health and social care needs. They are also involved in assisting with any necessary arrangements which may be required to support you when you are discharged from hospital.

Staff Nurse

A Staff Nurse is the general name given to a qualified Nurse. A Nurse specially trained in mental health is also referred to as a Registered Mental Nurse (RMN or RMHN). All the Trust’s Staff Nurses are Registered Mental Health Nurses.

Student Nurse

A Student Nurse is someone who is currently studying towards becoming a qualified nurse.

Support Worker

A Support Worker works with the nurses and other healthcare professionals, helping with treatment and looking after a patient’s comfort and well- being. They are also known as Support Time and Recovery (STR) Workers, Healthcare Support Workers and formerly Nursing Auxiliaries.

Ward Clerk

Ward Clerks support the smooth administrative running of the ward. They do photocopying, emailing and make sure that the filing records are up to date. They also perform other tasks such as sending information to benefits agencies.

Ward Manager

The Ward Manager functions as an expert Clinical Practitioner within the clinical area. They deliver direct patient care whilst managing, leading, co-ordinating and overseeing nursing practice for all nursing services provided to inpatients.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have some concerns, questions or need advice on our services, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 234 6088 or contact the PALS team on email.

Feeling low and need someone to talk to?

Call 0800 915 4640

Monday to Friday 7pm to 11pm Saturday to Sunday 12pm to Midnight

Need urgent help?

Call 0800 953 0110 24 hours a day, seven days a week

This leaflet is available in alternative languages and formats upon request. Please speak to a member of our staff to arrange this.