Mental Health Services Report
We wanted to gather the views and experiences of adults who are, or have experienced, poor mental health within County Durham, and to understand the problems experienced by people using mental health services. Looking to understand the challenges faced by staff working within mental health services was also another aim, as well as offering recommendations for the providers of local NHS services based on our findings, in order to improve mental health services for the people who need it.
Recommendations
Based on the research we carried out, both with patients and mental health service staff, we have the following recommendations for Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation trust and mental health support providers to consider:
- Mental Health service providers should continue to ensure they support staff to manage their own mental health and wellbeing, looking for new initiatives which help staff to feel able to share their own mental health concerns
- Clinicians to have, and use, the flexibility to be able offer additional therapy sessions or changes to the therapy plans for individual patients where required
- Some of the GP practice allocated training time to be dedicated to partnership working with mental health charities and organisations
- Service providers should continue to monitor the caseload of support staff especially when new initiatives are introduced which might increase the numbers of patients that can been seen and / or change existing working practices
- Consider implementing interim support services whilst patients are waiting for treatment
(Pleas note only some of our recommendations are stated here, please download the full report below to see them all)
Downloads
If you need this information in a different format please contact us:
healthwatchcountydurham@pcp.uk.net
0800 304 7039
