Trust welcome ASL Gallura for psychorheumatology outpatient clinic presentation
On Wednesday 21 May, a productive meeting took place at the Laura Mitchell Health and Wellbeing Centre in Halifax as the Trust welcomed ASL Gallura, based in Italy, to share learning about psychorhuematology. The centre aimed to share models and approaches to mental health adopted by the Italian National Health Service (SSN), also a public healthcare system. The event was one of the regular teaching sessions by the Calderdale community mental health team (CMHT) for mental health professionals, organised by Trust clinical psychologist Dr Nicola Meloni.
Dr Meloni invited our guests Dr Marcello G. Tanca, clinical psychologist and Dr Daniela Marotto, head of the rheumatology unit, both from ASL Gallura. Dr Tanca presented the characteristics of Italy’s first public psychorheumatology outpatient clinic, which recently opened in Tempio Pausania at their rheumatology unit. He specifically detailed the intervention protocol developed for the clinic and focused his discussion on the importance of considering inflammatory processes in the manifestation of impaired mental health, highlighting them as a connecting link in the bi-directional ‘mind-body’ relationship.
Dr Tanca said: “Meeting the professionals working in the British healthcare system in person and learning about their clinical intervention models was an immensely constructive experience. Their positivity was infectious and has further stimulated the growth of the specialist psychorheumatology outpatient service I provide at ASL Gallura.”
Dr Marotto added: “This sustainable and effective model can easily be replicated in other healthcare contexts. It aligns with the current evolution of public healthcare systems such as the Italian SSN and the British NHS, both of which require interdisciplinary and personalised approaches to chronic conditions to improve care quality.”
The core team’s multidisciplinary group of professionals showed great interest in the topics discussed and kept open the possibility of future events to continue the fruitful dialogue that has begun.
Dr Nicola Meloni, also originally from Italy, who works for the Trust and organised the event, said: “It is important and stimulating to promote the exchange of experiences and international collaborations that can encourage joint reflection among various healthcare professionals. This is particularly relevant for promising new areas of scientific research, such as the emerging field of inflammation connected to the central nervous system and approaches to prevention and treatment.”
Dr Meloni and Dr Tanca expressed their satisfaction that this meeting had paved the way for collaboration between the two public healthcare systems, from which both could benefit. They thanked the Trust, in particular acknowledging the contributions of Dr Jo Robinson (clinical lead) and Dr Rachael Theed (responsible for teaching sessions at the core team), as well as Dr Antonio F. Cossu (director of the Tempio Pausania District of ASL Gallura).
