In 2008/09 we were awarded the highest rating for our clinical services by the Care Quality Commission for the fifth year in a row. We are one of only a handful of trusts to achieve this. The Health Secretary has previously congratulated us on our outstanding performance, commenting that our services are among the best in the country and that we set a standard that all mental health trusts should aspire to.
Improvements for patients
Our services continually improve as a result of feedback and findings from staff, patients and stakeholders. In 2009/10 we made a number of changes as a direct result of patient feedback including:
- we launched a new trust website, which has been extensively tested by patients and other service users, and is based on the 'patient's journey' rather than following the structure of our departments
- we are developing a facebook page to communicate with our patients, staff, students and members around issues that affect these stakeholder groups
- we have developed an interactive emotional health website for children aged 7-10 years: the website has been created by an award-winning design and animation company, in collaboration with key clinicians from our trust, and will be launched in September 2010
- we organised for an ex-patient to be involved in the training of adult department therapists about the experience of attending our services
- we piloted a text message appointment confirmation/cancellation service in the adolescent department and ran a focus group on the users' experience of this.
The 2009 patient survey revealed a high level of satisfaction with our patient services. We have continued to develop our patient and public involvement programme and have expanded our communications department in order to engage more effectively with our patients, members, students and staff.
We have worked hard to make sure that our services are appropriate for, and easily available to, the communities we serve. We are very pleased, therefore, that the black and minority ethnic profiles of our patient and student populations closely mirror the very diverse populations we serve.
New and improved patient services
In 2008/09 the Gender Identity Development Service was commissioned nationally: the service has also developed a broad portfolio of Continued Professional Development trainings, accessible to a range of health and social care workers.
We were very pleased to secure extended funding until 2012 for our Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) service. FDAC is a collaboration between the charity Coram and our clinical services, commissioned by Camden, Islington and Westminster councils. We have also secured funding to run a young peoples' drug and alcohol service in Barnet.
We were delighted to be awarded the contract to provide an innovative primary mental health service in City and Hackney for GP practices, providing consultations to the clinicians, and clinical interventions focused on patients who have complex needs and cause serious concern but do not meet the criteria for existing mental health services.
Best for staff
The 2009 staff survey revealed low levels of work-related stress and high levels of job satisfaction. We were amongst the highest rated of mental health trusts and our staff are very committed to delivering the best care for patients.
