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Lark Ward

  • Lark Ward is at the Woodlands Unit in Ipswich Hospital. It is a Psychiatric Intensive Care Ward (PICU). Our Lark Ward team cares for both men and women over the age of 18 in an inpatient setting, providing care and treatment for men and women in the most critical time of their mental health recovery. The team offers a more intensive service than other inpatient wards. This is due to our environment, levels of staffing and number of people cared for on the ward.

  • Service Contact: Matron Hannah Morrow
  • Address:
    Lark Ward,  Woodlands Unit,  Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, IP4 5PD
  • Reception phone number: 01473 891720
  • Service hours: This ward is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What this service offers

Our Lark Ward team work with inpatients and their carers, family or friends. This is key to understanding the best way to provide appropriate care.

Lark ward provides care for those with the following conditions:

  • Acute anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Personality disorder
  • Schizophrenia.

Patients on Lark Ward can receive the following treatments:

  • Art therapy
  • Brief talking therapies
  • Complimentary therapy
  • Medication, including access to our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical health screening and assessment
  • Psychology.

Lark Ward provides personal care planning and assessment to service users. This is to support them in their journey of recovery. It includes personalised discharge planning to acute services when appropriate.  ​

The ward also currently has a Covid-19 cohort area which is separate from the PICU ward. This area offers beds for inpatients who have tested positive for Covid-19. It enables us to provide mental health care and support whilst patients isolate due to Covid-19.

 

Lark Ward Information Leaflet - accessible (html)

Access this service

Access to Lark Ward is by referral only. The ward receives referrals for admission from a range of avenues. This includes community services, places of safety and other inpatient wards.

Referrals follow Section 12 Drs and an Approved Mental Health Practitioner making an assessment. The assessment determines the need for treatment under the Mental Health Act. It would also determine the need for a higher intensity of input than on our acute wards.

PICU practitioners screen referrals and decisions made in line with the PICU criteria. 

How this service support carers including friends and family

Our Lark Ward team works with Suffolk Carers and our Customer Services team. They also hold a monthly drop-in carers session in the Woodlands Unit.

Lark Ward also has a dedicated staff member who carers are able to contact. We send information to carers and assess their needs as part of the inpatient care plan.

Urgent help

If you are a service user and are in crisis and need support urgently you can contact your service on the number which will have been provided.  

Call 111 and select the mental health option to speak to our 24 hour mental health crisis line.

If you are with someone who has attempted suicide, call 999 and stay with them until the ambulance arrives. 

If anyone is at serious risk of harm, call 999 and ask for the police. 

For non-life threatening medical situations, call NHS111 on 111.  

For more information, see Help in a Crisis. 

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