Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 23 April 2024 at 07:06
Mental health; something more than a quarter of us will experience personally, but the issue people often find most difficult to talk about.
We see and care for people with mental health difficulties every day, but is the health service fully meeting their needs? Next week the Trust will be doing its bit to answer that question, but it needs your help.
Ambulance services across the country will be taking part in a 24-hour ‘mental health snapshot’ from 7am on Thursday (15th December), to help paint a picture of mental health needs across all patient groups.
We’re asking patient-facing A&E and EOC teams to complete an additional, short piece of paperwork for every mental health patient you see or speak to during this timeframe. We know how busy you already are, so it’s very easy and quick to complete, and adheres to our patient confidentiality guidelines. Take a peek at the form here.
Led by the National Ambulance Service Mental Health Group, the snapshot aims to evidence that better community care is needed for those with mental health issues, and that we as an ambulance service need more support to help these patients too.
The forms should be available on the day on your vehicle and in EOC, but please speak to your management team if you have any problems. If you complete any forms during the snapshot, please hand them in to the DLO or SEM team at the end of your shift, who will in turn return them to Melbourn HQ for the attention of Area Clinical Lead Duncan Moore.
The results will be fed into the national group, and we’ll share the feedback with you once it’s been collated. Your help will help us to make positive mental health changes for the future – which will be better for our patients, and better for us.
Got a question about the snapshot? Get in touch with Duncan at duncan.moore@eastamb.nhs.uk.
Published 8th December, 2016