They are undergoing targeted training to enhance their knowledge of physical health issues to help narrow the, on average, 20 year mortality gap between people with serious mental illness (SMI) and the rest of the population.
Innovative “Physical Health Skills Passports” document the specific training the Trust’s nurses now undergo in assessing and treating physical health conditions such as diabetes and lung disease, which are significantly more prevalent in serious mental health conditions.
People with severe mental illness suffer more physical comorbidity than the general population, which can require a tailored approach to physical health care discussions within mental health care planning. Although evidence pertaining to service user and carer involvement in mental health care planning is accumulating, current understanding of how physical health is prioritised within this framework is limited. Understanding stakeholder experiences of physical health discussions within mental health care planning, and the key domains that underpin this phenomena is essential to improve quality of care. Our study aimed to explore service user, carer and professional experiences of and preferences for service user and carer involvement in physical health discussions within mental health care planning, and develop a conceptual framework of effective user-led involvement in this aspect of service provision based on clients, carers & staff at a mental health trust in Manchester.
Service data indicates that from a sample of 102 service users 80.4% had their families involved in their care.
In line with offering a combined healthy eating and physical activity programme the service is also piloting the Supporting Health and Promoting Exercise (SHAPE) physical health intervention programme, which uses the expertise of nutritionists, exercise physiologists and health trainers. It is a structured and intensive 12-week course with follow-up over 12 months, which includes a group educational programme and individually tailored exercises sessions.
The Leicestershire Physical Health Register was developed and trialled in 2013 by a team from the trust:specialist mental health pharmacist Dolly Sud, consultant psychiatrist Dr Manjunath Minajagi and consultant pathologist Dr James Falconer Smith.
The register helps clinicians to ensure they undergo close physical health monitoring by triggering key checks such as key blood test results, weight/BMI, blood pressure and to ask them about smoking, alcohol consumption, substance misuse, diet and exercise.
The Poplars unit is part of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We provide services for people with a diagnosis of Dementia, and people experiencing memory problems.
For hydration week we held a garden party for the service users and IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!
From the decorations to the food- all were made by staff and service users.
The Bretton centre is a low secure inpatient service provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS foundation Trust.
We all know that good physical health can be a key part of overall wellbeing, and with this in mind we have developed a great service model which has increased the level of gym facilitation, gym access, fitness and wellbeing for our service users.
This article presents to implementation service evaluation/quality improvement initiative in one NHS trust which involved the implementation of the Modified Early Warning Scoring System (MEWS) that enables staff to assess, recognise and respond to the physical health needs of people with mental health problems or a learning disability in an inpatient setting.
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Mental health nurses at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust in London are working on a scheme to combine mental and physical health assessments. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.