Mental health advice and support for people in Oldham
Saddleworth Life was approached in October by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust to share information about the Mental Health Services they offer. We can now bring this information to you:
If you need help urgently please either go to your local A&E department or phone 999
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust provides lots of different mental health services for people living across Greater Manchester, including Oldham.
The mental health staff provide care and treatment for people with mild to moderate conditions such as depression, anxiety or dementia, or more serious mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.
Thanks to additional funding, there are lots of improvements to mental health services that are planned or underway.
These improvements aim to make sure that people can quickly receive the right support, in the right place, by the right professional.
This will help to improve patients’ overall experience, reduce the likelihood of their problems becoming worse and increase their chances of making a full recovery. It will also reduce pressure on hospital and urgent care services.
To find out more about the services provided by Pennine Care, along with details of new developments, people can visit www.penninecare.nhs.uk
Urgent support:
People who need mental health support urgently should go to their nearest accident and emergency department or phone 999.
Pennine Care’s liaison mental health staff work at The Royal Oldham Hospital to provide dedicated support to people who have a mental health, drug or alcohol issues or dementia.
Support for anxiety and depression:
People aged 16 years and over, who are experiencing anxiety or depression can self-refer to Pennine Care’s Oldham Healthy Minds Service.
The team can offer lots of different types of short-term therapy. Following an assessment, they will advise which is most appropriate, based on the person’s needs.
People can find out more and refer themselves at www.penninecare.nhs.uk/healthyminds. Their GP can also refer them to the service.
General advice and signposting:
People who feel they would benefit from mental health support, but are unsure what would best meet their needs, should make an appointment with their GP.
Recent new developments:
Oldham Safe Haven:
Pennine Care has recently launched a brand new Oldham Safe Haven for people aged over 18 years who attend accident and emergency department experiencing a mental health crisis out of hours (5pm to 8am).
Previously, they would have to be admitted to a ward or discharged home with a referral (or signposting) to an appropriate in-hours mental health service. Sometimes, neither option was appropriate.
They can now be referred (by A&E staff) to the Oldham Safe Haven, where expert mental health staff can offer support and advice in a safe and comfortable space.
Oldham psychological medicine in primary care service:
A new pilot service has been launched to support people aged over 16 years, who have troubling physical symptoms that will not go away.
Having to deal with these ongoing symptoms, along with numerous medical appointments and tests, can have a negative effect on a person’s wellbeing. It can be especially difficult when no clear cause can be found for the physical symptoms.
Often people will have previously tried various forms of support, which may include therapy, without success.
People can now be referred to this new service by their GP (see pilot areas below), and receive dedicated support from a team of experts – including nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and social care professionals.
The aim is to help them to better manage their symptoms, so they enjoy a better quality of life. The new service will also reduce pressure on GP, urgent care and hospital services.
To allow this new service to be tested, it is being run as a pilot until March 2020. During this period is it available to people registered with a GP in the following areas: Alexandra, Medlock Vale and St Mary’s (known as the south cluster) and in Failsworth west and east and Coldhurst (known as the central cluster).
If the service is successful, the aim is to make it available to people across Oldham.
Greater Manchester crisis care pathway for children and young people:
The Greater Manchester crisis care pathway is an exciting development which aims to make a real difference to children and young people (under 18 years) who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
The pathway is being led by Pennine Care, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
As part of the pathway, four new rapid response teams have recently launched. The teams offer dedicated support to young people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, and their families, for up to 72 hours.
To make sure the new service is safe and appropriate for young people, currently the teams can only accept a referral from a mental health professional. However, the long term goal is that the teams will be able to accept referrals from anyone – including parents, carers and self-referral by the young person.
In the summer, a network of new safe zones will launch across Greater Manchester. These will be run by a charity partnership and provide a safe space for young people aged 13 to 18 years who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
More information about the crisis care pathway is available at www.penninecare.nhs.uk/gmccp
Saddleworth Life is in the process of investigating who is responsible for promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in the area, as 1 in 4 people experiencing mental illness are not necessarily at crisis point and improvements on the general well being of us all surely is important?
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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