Mental health support for hospitals
A dedicated mental health team is helping ease pressure on patients and staff at Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals.
The Enhanced Observations Team, which includes mental health nurses and healthcare assistants, responds to referrals made anywhere in the hospitals.
The team was established in year 2023 in response to the growing number of patients presenting with mental as well physical conditions.
Deborah Okey, Senior Mental Health Nurse, said: “The majority of nurses are trained to look after a patient’s physical, not mental, well-being.
"This can take up a lot of their time if an individual needs a lot of attention which is where we come in, assess the patient and make a recommendation and provided enhanced observation and support for the patients.
“We train our healthcare assistants to manage the less complex cases while more complex cases are managed by experienced mental health nurses.”
Referrals to the team can be made via email. There is a referral template which all the wards have access to. The team is also available to staff if they feel they need support