‘EXCELLENT CARE FROM A FIRST CLASS TEAM’
People who use mental health services in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield have been telling the NHS what they think of their services.
In March 2004, The South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust took part in the National Service User Survey; the results have now been collated and published. The survey was sent to a sample of 850 service users in a bid to find out how they feel about the services that the Trust provides. Respondents were also invited to share their comments on what they thought was particularly good about their care, and if they felt that anything could be improved.
75% of respondents felt that the service they had received during the last 12 months was ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent.’ 96% said that their psychiatrist treated them with dignity and respect and listened carefully to them Similarly, 98% of service users said that their community psychiatric nurse (CPN) treated them with dignity and respect and listened carefully to them. 92% of respondents had seen their care co-ordinator in the last 3 months. 96% of service users who attend day centres said that the activities provided by the centre were helpful.
Many of the comments included with the completed surveys reflect the hard work and dedication of staff and the high standards of care that they provide. Comments included: ‘My psychiatrist is always supportive and listens patiently to me, and my CPN was excellent.’ ‘I have received excellent care from a first class team.’ ‘I have a great relationship with all my mental health outreach team, nurses and psychiatrist. They treat me with kindness, friendliness, empathy and trust.’ ‘My psychologist has been really supportive and has given me as much time as I need.’
Some of the results have helped the Trust identify areas where improvements need to be made, for example; 28% of respondents had not received information about local support groups and stated that they would have liked some, 28% of service users said that they were not told that they could bring a friend or relative to their care review meetings and 37% of respondents saw two different psychiatrists during the last 12 months.
Speaking about the results of the survey, Judith Young, Trust chief executive, said, ‘Overall the results of this survey have shown us that many of our service users believe that the Trust is providing high quality services and are happy with the care that they receive. We are proud of these results; I’d like to thank all staff for their hard work, enthusiasm, dedication and commitment, which is reflected in many of the comments service users made. The Trust is committed to listening to the views of service users and understanding their needs. We will ensure that we act on the feedback that we have received.’