I heard someone talking in the queue in a supermarket: “There are so many people with mental health problems these days, where is it all coming from?”
It is true that mental health has been more prominent in the media this year with many celebrities and members of the royal family openly taking about their struggles with mental health.
However, for service users, their carers and people who work in mental health, this openness and debate about stigma, availability of services and funding was long overdue.
For Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), 2017 was a memorable and important year.
Following an inspection from Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April, the trust improved our overall rating to Good, with services for children and young people being rated as Outstanding.
This progress would not have been possible without a real commitment of our staff and input from service users, carers and volunteers who helped us to introduce innovations such as 1960s themed rooms on our dementia wards, triangle of care which puts greater emphasis on carer involvement and employing people with lived experience of mental illness who support the recovery of our service users, just to name a few.
The CQC inspection also highlighted a large number of people receiving care outside of Lincolnshire as something that they particularly wanted us to improve on.
We have been working with our commissioners and in July we opened the Hartsholme Centre – a new psychiatric intensive care, 10-bed male ward for people who are at their most vulnerable and require focussed support.
If someone is experiencing mental health crisis, being away from their family and friends is far from ideal.
The support of loved ones can make a big difference and being close to home ensures that this support can continue.
Next year we will keep working on bringing care closer to where our patients live and making sure the support is available to avoid hospital altogether.
In 2017 LPFT also celebrated our 10th anniversary as a foundation trust and that made me think how our approach to mental health has changed over the last decade.
There is more emphasis on empowering people to be in charge of their own health and the trust continues to develop services which support self-care, or offer early help to prevent problems from escalating.
The Managed Care Network – a collective of groups and organisations offering activities which help people experiencing mental health problems stay well and develop support networks – awarded a new wave of funding in October.
Together with local authority, we have also introduced Healthy Minds Lincolnshire which offer emotional wellbeing support for young people and advice for teachers, parents and carers.
I think the future of mental health services will be about supporting people in their communities while ensuring that hospital care is there when needed.
Looking ahead to next year, the NHS will be celebrating its 70th anniversary and I think we should use this opportunity to think how we can make the NHS sustainable for another 70.
During festive period spare a few thoughts to staff working to provide 24/7 services because it’s these people who make the NHS the great.
New Year’s resolutions
Personal: I’d also like to find time to be mindful and help me look after my own mental health.
Professional: I’d like to ensure patients and public have a greater voice in improving services.
John Brewin is the chief executive of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
I heard someone talking in the queue in a supermarket: “There are so many people with mental health problems these days, where is it all coming from?”
It is true that mental health has been more prominent in the media this year with many celebrities and members of the royal family openly taking about their struggles with mental health.
However, for service users, their carers and people who work in mental health, this openness and debate about stigma, availability of services and funding was long overdue.
For Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), 2017 was a memorable and important year.
Following an inspection from Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April, the trust improved our overall rating to Good, with services for children and young people being rated as Outstanding.
This progress would not have been possible without a real commitment of our staff and input from service users, carers and volunteers who helped us to introduce innovations such as 1960s themed rooms on our dementia wards, triangle of care which puts greater emphasis on carer involvement and employing people with lived experience of mental illness who support the recovery of our service users, just to name a few.
The CQC inspection also highlighted a large number of people receiving care outside of Lincolnshire as something that they particularly wanted us to improve on.
We have been working with our commissioners and in July we opened the Hartsholme Centre – a new psychiatric intensive care, 10-bed male ward for people who are at their most vulnerable and require focussed support.
If someone is experiencing mental health crisis, being away from their family and friends is far from ideal.
The support of loved ones can make a big difference and being close to home ensures that this support can continue.
Next year we will keep working on bringing care closer to where our patients live and making sure the support is available to avoid hospital altogether.
In 2017 LPFT also celebrated our 10th anniversary as a foundation trust and that made me think how our approach to mental health has changed over the last decade.
There is more emphasis on empowering people to be in charge of their own health and the trust continues to develop services which support self-care, or offer early help to prevent problems from escalating.
The Managed Care Network – a collective of groups and organisations offering activities which help people experiencing mental health problems stay well and develop support networks – awarded a new wave of funding in October.
Together with local authority, we have also introduced Healthy Minds Lincolnshire which offer emotional wellbeing support for young people and advice for teachers, parents and carers.
I think the future of mental health services will be about supporting people in their communities while ensuring that hospital care is there when needed.
Looking ahead to next year, the NHS will be celebrating its 70th anniversary and I think we should use this opportunity to think how we can make the NHS sustainable for another 70.
During festive period spare a few thoughts to staff working to provide 24/7 services because it’s these people who make the NHS the great.
New Year’s resolutions
Personal: I’d also like to find time to be mindful and help me look after my own mental health.
Professional: I’d like to ensure patients and public have a greater voice in improving services.
John Brewin is the chief executive of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.
Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.
The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.
Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:
The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29.The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.
The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.
Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.
A Lady Gaga loving kitten owned by a couple who run a charity for disabled pets featured on Channel 5’s The Pet Psychic.
Pet Psychic Beth Lee-Crowther comes to the aid of pet owners and in Tuesday night’s episode she met Cookie the kitten, a depressed camel, and looked at whether a dog can predict the future.