A new Mental Health Service run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has been launched as part of a national pilot to improve community mental health care. Working with specialist mental health practitioners, local GPs and representatives from the voluntary and community sector, it will support people with complex mental health difficulties outside of a hospital or mental health unit.
Key points of the new approach:
- people will be able to get support from different teams and services quickly and easily without the need for continual referrals and assessments
- if their treatment ends but they need support they can re-enter services straight away without starting all over again from the back of the queue
- there will be mental health practitioners based within local GP practices
- an appointment with the appropriate team and a bespoke care plan will be in place for each patient within a maximum of 4 weeks
As part of this service, Worcestershire Association of Carers will be supporting carers in the Wyre Forest, Malvern and rural areas. Specifically, they will be supporting carers caring for someone with a mental health condition, and also carers with mental health conditions themselves. Their aims are to:
- guide carers through local health, social care and community services
- ensure carers feel more confident in their caring role by providing opportunities to learn more about mental health and develop their understanding of how to support someone with a mental health issue
- support carers to focus on their own health and well-being and ensure they are looking after themselves
- provide carers opportunities to connect with others in a similar situation so they can share their experiences
For more information please contact Jane Taylor, Communities and Partnerships, on: jtaylor@carersworcs.org.uk