Improved mental health treatment suite, Briarfields, for Wakefield
A treatment suite for local people with serious mental health problems has been improved following a move to a new location.
The Briarfields treatment suite, run by South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust, provides specialist treatment for people in the Wakefield and North Kirklees areas and has been moved to a new location at Fieldhead, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield. It was previously provided in a smaller location on the same site. The previous unit and service had been praised in June 2007 by the Royal College of Psychiatry and was awarded "accreditation with excellence".
The service has now been further developed in line with standards set by the Royal College of Psychiatry, and has been vastly improved as a result of the move.
The new treatment suite benefits from 50% more floor space and has been furnished and decorated to a high standard throughout, providing a welcoming and comfortable environment for people who use the service. The suite has been given the name ‘Briarfields’ which is a fictional Yorkshire location from a novel by Charlotte Bronte. Many of the Trust’s units are named after local places and this name was chosen by staff in the service as a less clinical, more welcoming alternative to its previous name, the ‘ECT & Clozapine Clinic’.
Treatments provided at the Briarfields include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is usually used as a treatment for severe depression. Briarfields also provides drug treatments that require specialised monitoring. The suite is also equipped to carry out electrocardiograms (heart tracing), phlebotomy (blood sampling) and other methods to monitor a person’s physical health and any possible side effects of treatment.
Deidre Conlon, Lead nurse said, "The new suite has had a positive impact on both staff and people coming here for treatment. Staff morale has been boosted and we are really pleased to be able to offer a first rate care environment in which service users can feel comfortable and at ease."
Registered nurse, Sue Bolton added, "The treatment we provide is very clinical and can often be quite an intimidating experience for people who need to use it. However, we have created a high quality, welcoming care environment that enables people to feel relaxed and reassured. This in turn breaks down barriers and encourages them to trust the staff administering their treatment."