A new team dedicated to supporting patients with mental health needs has been launched at Northwick Park Hospital, aiming to ease pressure on NHS staff and improve patient care.
The Enhanced Observations Team, which also operates at Ealing Hospital, includes mental health nurses and healthcare assistants who respond to referrals made from any part of the hospitals.
The initiative was introduced following a rise in the number of patients needing both mental and physical health support during their hospital stay.
Deborah Okey, Senior Mental Health Nurse, said: “The majority of nurses are trained to look after a patient’s physical, not mental, well-being.
“This can take up a lot of their time if an individual needs a lot of attention which is where we come in, assess the patient and make a recommendation and provided enhanced observation and support for the patients.
“We train our healthcare assistants to manage the less complex cases while more complex cases are managed by experienced mental health nurses.”
Staff can make referrals to the Enhanced Observations Team via email using a referral template that has been shared with all wards. The team is also available to support hospital staff who may need additional help managing patients’ mental health needs.
Northwick Park Hospital is run by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH), which provides hospital and community services to residents in Harrow, Brent and Ealing.
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