Support for patients, carers and relatives during changes to mental health in-patient services
09/11/2007
The NHS and Social Care Community in Gloucestershire have been holding a series of public meetings to explain how patients, carers and relatives will be supported as changes to older people’s in-patient mental health services take place.
Preparatory building works have now been completed to the Charlton Lane unit in Cheltenham. Staffing numbers for the new services and transfer plans for patients have been established.
The first stage in the transfer of services will be closure to new admissions at Colliers Court and Weavers Croft while at the same time opening to new admissions at Charlton Lane and Holly House. This is expected to take place within the next fortnight.
Existing patients at Colliers Court and Weavers Croft will continue to be cared for at these units during this first stage. The Partnership Trust anticipates that most patients will be discharged from these units when it is clinically appropriate. There will be a small number of patients who will be transferred to Holly House and Charlton Lane in the later stages of the process. A patient plan will be set up for each individual patient and carers will be involved at every stage.
It is anticipated that it will take up to six weeks between closing to new admissions at Colliers Court and Weavers Croft and all patients being transferred to Holly House and Charlton Lane.
Colliers Court and Weavers Croft will be developed as the hub of community mental health services in the Forest of Dean and Stroud localities.
It is proposed that Holly House in Gloucester will be developed to provide intermediate care services, providing a bridge between hospital and home for local people. This will include ‘step down’ care for older people with mental health needs who no longer need specialist in-patient care
Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has made a commitment that no members of staff will be made compulsorily redundant and the Trust is actively looking to redeploy all staff within the Trust and retain their skills
The NHS and the County Council have been working in partnership to increase community services and develop support services for carers
The emphasis has been on getting the balance right between continuing to provide high quality services to those with the most complex mental health needs and developing community services across Gloucestershire that can often help to avoid crisis situations arising.
Together we are reinvesting resources into the Community Teams and additional services to try and keep people in their own homes, where they are happier and more independent and to reduce hospital admissions which can lead to dependency.
An agreement is now in place with Gloucestershire Wheels to provide transport services for relatives and carers of patients who would have been admitted to Colliers Court and Weavers Croft and who do not have ready access to car transport. This agreement is ongoing.
This service will be available from the day that the changes are introduced. It will provide a door to door service. There will be no charge for relatives and carers for using this service and no limit to the number of journeys. The availability of the service will be as close to the carers’ or relatives’ requirements as possible.
Paul Winterbottom, Medical Director at Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:
Our intention has always been that patient care is delivered in the best possible environment and that we deliver the best possible clinical outcomes.
Patient safety is at the very centre of these changes. We want to ensure that patients are treated by highly trained staff, in modern, appropriate facilities. This includes separate provision for individuals experiencing disorders such as dementia, from those experiencing illnesses such as depression, which the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends as best practice.
We also remain committed to providing community-based services in each locality for the 85% of people who do not need admission.”
Jan Stubbings, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust said:
"It is important to recognise that in addition to providing safe and secure inpatient services for people who are seriously unwell, the NHS has an important responsibility to provide high quality services to the majority of people who are more appropriately treated in their own homes and in the community.
We have been working with the Partnership Trust and the County Council to develop community based services to help avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital and to help people to return home from hospital more quickly.”
Mark Branton, Director of Strategic Commissioning and Performance at Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“The county council is committed to ensuring that people are helped to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, and we have been working with the Partnership Trust and the PCT in the development of community services, in support of this. Through schemes such as POPP, the Gloucestershire Partnership for Older People Project, we are also working in partnership to help people maintain their independence even if residential care is the right option for them.”
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