Wednesday 22 February 2023
Dear All
I know February can be a challenging month for some; the celebrations of New Year are a distant memory, but warm summer days still feel a long way off. However, the longer daylight hours are a sign that the worst of the winter is behind us. I have been enjoying the lighter mornings and evenings and am thankful that the days have started to be a bit milder.
Do take advantage of the spells of better weather to go out and meet people. The social distancing and isolation measures that were put in place during the pandemic have made many of us more aware of how important it is see friends and family members and enjoy social interaction. It has also made some people more cautious. If you got out of the habit of going out and seeing people during the pandemic, please try to overcome this and resume the activities you did before, or try new ones. By meeting people socially, we not only boost our own wellbeing, but also that of others.
We continue to be busy at the Trust. Our Partnership with Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust is developing and we want your help to ensure our services meet your needs, see more on that and other news items from the Partnership below:
Have your say on our new Partnership Strategy - help us develop our services to meet your needs
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS Mental Health Trust and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust would like your help please.
Two years ago, we formed a Partnership to improve the way people receive the care and support they need and we are working together closely, sharing ideas and resources, to continue to improve our services and the experience of our staff.
We know how busy you are but would be very grateful if you would please take the time to read a short document first describing our Partnership’s future plans for the next few years. We would then kindly ask you to complete this brief survey, telling us what you think about our plans. We would also really welcome any other ideas you have about what we do currently, and what we might do differently to improve our services in the future.
|
Loudest Whispers art exhibition at St Pancras Hospital
Our vibrant LGBT+ community arts exhibition, Loudest Whispers, is now open at St Pancras Hospital until 12 May, showcasing the work of more than 40 artists and celebrating those working in TV, cinema and photography.
The exhibition is one of the key events being held across north London to mark LGBTQ+ History Month. See more here
|
The CQC rated our services Good
I’m delighted to let you know that following a CQC inspection last year of our nine acute wards for adults of working age and our two psychiatric intensive care units in Camden and Islington, the service has gone from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’.
Congratulations to our divisional team and front line staff for all their hard work and for everything they do every single day to give the best possible care to our service users and their families. This was reflected in the CQC rating the service ‘Good’ for being effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. More details are on the website here.
|
Use your experience to work with the Trust
We have created an involvement register so that patients/service users and carers who are interested in engaging with the Trust can express their interest about getting involved. This could range from receiving information such as newsletters or opportunities to share your experiences of our services, to helping us recruit the right staff or helping to shape services and create positive change through participating in Quality Improvement projects.
If you are interested in joining our Involvement Register, please complete this Expression of Interest Form. If completing forms isn’t your thing, then please don’t worry, just contact our Patient and Carer Experience Engagement Lead, Joanne Scott engagement.experience@Candi.nhs.uk or 07833 200188.
We have made a short animated video to illustrate how you can get involved.
Strike action in the NHS
You will have seen the news about strike action in the NHS. There is no mandate for strike action by nurses at Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust or at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
However our services may be affected by other industrial action in the NHS wider system, including ambulance strikes. Click here to read more. There was a mandate for strike action by junior doctors and we are waiting to see when industrial action will be called. Please be assured that we will do everything we can to minimise any disruption to our services.
|
Update on our estate redevelopment plans
 |
|
This will be an exciting year for the Trust with Highgate East, our new flagship inpatient facility, and Lowther Road (pictured), our purpose-built community mental health hub, both completing later this year. Our Journey to Better Health newsletter has the latest, plus details about plans for the St Pancras site. Click here to read more. |
February Community Transformation Programme newsletter
This month's newsletter from our Community Mental Health Transformation Programme includes a report on our Enfield borough event - the first of several planned for different areas across north central London. Click here to read in full.
|
Cost of living help
I know the price of energy, food and bills are all rising and that can lead to financial stress and anxiety. The five local authorities across the Partnership have launched programmes of support to help in various ways.
|
Recovery College courses - including one on growing plants for wellbeing
You can read more about what we are doing in the Partnership on the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust website here and the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust website here.
If you need any additional support, please do get in touch with your usual contact at the Trust and let them know how you are feeling.
Please take time to look after yourself, and support those around you where possible.
Best wishes
Dr Vincent Kirchner
Chief Medical Officer
|
