These two areas are at the front of national and local initiatives with a portfolio of work that is nationally an area for development.
UHNM have devised this specialist role to encompass a range of leadership and clinical work to help raise the profile of mental health in an acute hospital.
The post is a senior divisional role which has responsibilities for improving patient and staff experience, devising new specialist roles and teams to support the most vulnerable patients and create an environment where mental health is fundamental to nursing and medical practice.
Since this role has been operational there have been a number of internal and external relationships built with key stakeholders to streamline mental health care and share best practice across the local health economy. As a direct result of this we have been able to enlist the help of service users and their carers in helping redesign mental health experiences within the trust.
We have held a number of events which have showcased patients perspectives on their care and treatment and what can be done differently, these videos are now being used as part of statutory and mandatory training within Child health, and have received excellent feedback from participants as they are able to contextualize their stories with real life scenarios. This training has instilled a level of confidence and competence in all disciplines of acute children’s nursing as they are now identifying positive mechanisms to support children and young people who are presenting with mental health conditions.
As part of the move forward there has been a working group set up which is identifying CYP needs and planning new interventions, training and resources that will be available to support patients and our workforce. This work has had a significant impact on patients experience when attending the hospital and the experience of the staff looking after these individuals.
This role has been created in a time of significant NHS pressure and is already delivering key objectives and helping the trust achieve a revenue by successfully securing CCG monies for CAMHS development and also securing NHS England money for a specialist clinic within a maternity setting, this is expanding the range of services thus creating a role that delivers high quality care and a financial reward.
This role deserves recognition to highlight the steps taken by UHNM to have mental health as a fundamental part of their work and ensure that every patient receives high quality care that is tailored to their individual needs. The investment in the role and the subsequent investment in staff training and awareness demonstrates a real commitment to the prioritization of patients mental health needs.