New hospital service to launch in Calderdale and Huddersfield
People who go to A&E or have to stay in Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals are set to benefit from a new service being launched on 1st April 2014.
The mental health liaison team is being introduced by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with hospital staff who work for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.
Going to A&E or spending time in hospital can have an effect on a person’s mental wellbeing and the new service aims to provide advice, rapid assessment and support to anyone who may need it.
The team are based at Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any adult who might be experiencing problems with their mental health.
Rachel Sykes, team leader, explains: “We’re delighted to be working with our hospital colleagues to offer this new service to the people of Calderdale and Huddersfield. It means people will now get their mental health looked after in hospital just as well as their physical health.”
The specialist team is made up of staff from a variety of different professions, so they can provide the best possible care and advice. The team includes doctors, psychologists, mental health nurses and social workers.
Rachel explained how people may not always realise they need help with their mental health, “Mental health is just like physical health. It can be good or bad, lead to problems that last for a few weeks or ones that need to be managed over a lifetime.
“Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. One in four people in the UK has a mental health problem at some point in their lives. So, it’s more common than many people think.
“At certain times your mental health may be under particular strain – for example when you, or a loved one, are in hospital. That’s where we can help.”
The team are available to speak to anyone when they are in Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, as well as to carers or relatives.