Treatment team

About the service

The North Kirklees treatment team provides treatment clinics for patients taking the drugs clozapine, lithium, and long-acting antipsychotics.

The clozapine clinic operates on Mondays. Patients have a sample of blood taken which is then tested to see if they are able to continue with their treatment.

Patients also have a physical assessment which checks things such as their blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight and any side effects they may be experiencing at each appointment.

The lithium clinic operates on a Tuesday morning. A blood sample is taken and sent to a pathology laboratory for testing. A physical assessment is also done at this appointment.

Depot clinics – where patients come for treatment of an injection of a slow release antipsychotic – operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on Priestley unit at Dewsbury and District Hospital and on Wednesday mornings at Cleckheaton Health Centre.

The service also provides wellbeing appointments which run throughout the week to fit in with the clinical need. These can be for patients’ annual health checks, for referrals for specific health issues, or for patients who have begun taking anti-psychotics and require monitoring.

Why would someone choose the service?

Service users within the North Kirklees area who take medication prescribed by the Trust come to the clinic for this specialist service which is not provided in GP surgeries.

Staff you may meet

Nurse

Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.

Receptionist

Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.

Social worker

Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.