Praise for service which brings mental health care closer to home
Thousands of people have been able to access mental health support closer to their homes thanks to a new service that operates from GP surgeries.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which provides specialist mental health and learning disability services, has introduced mental health practitioners into practices across Suffolk to provide faster help and advice.
The move is part of the trust’s extensive drive to improve the services it provides to communities over several years, which includes working to make sure people have better access to specialist help closer to home.
Over the last year, 14 mental health practitioners have been introduced to 14 groups of surgeries across Suffolk and supported more than 5,000 contacts with people.
They work with people to stabilise their condition, teach them specific techniques to support their ongoing health and wellbeing and signpost to other organisations if that’s needed, including specialist services provided by the trust as well as voluntary sector organisations.
In a recent survey of patients, 92.3% rated their experience of the new service as “good” or “very good”.
One patient, who wanted to remain anonymous said: “The support and advice I have received has been a lifeline in what for me has been a horrible episode. I was desperate for help and having someone friendly to talk to has been wonderful.”
NSFT’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Amy Eagle, said: “We are really pleased that this important service has been so well-received by patients and is helping people to access the support they need closer to home.
“Our practitioners work with a huge variety of patients, including those experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety, or who need extra support for conditions such as personality disorder or bipolar. They will always refer those with more complex problems to our specialist care services, as well as signposting people to other sources of support.”
The service was first developed in Norfolk and Waveney in 2020, and then adopted as part of plans to progress mental health over several years.