North London NHS Foundation Trust sent this bulletin at 31-01-2025 04:32 PM GMT
Letter to service users and carers
January 2025
Dear All,
I hope you are keeping well and have managed to wrap up warm during our recent spell of cold weather.
A new year can mark new beginnings for some, but we recognise that some of the challenges we face do not magically disappear overnight when the clock strikes midnight.
January specifically can be a difficult time for many of us. The excitement of the holidays has passed, days are still short and dark, and financial worries may be mounting.
But it’s important to remember that feeling low isn’t limited to just one day or one month. Mental health challenges can arise at any time, and you don’t have to face them alone. We are here to support you. Please get in touch with your Trust contact if you require any additional support.
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote to you and you can find out the highlights in the below letter. I hope we can all continue to learn, grow, and thrive, in 2025.
Welcome Manny
I am really pleased to share with you that we have appointed as our Chief Nurse and Allied Health Professions Officer, the NHS's first internationally-educated nurse from India to a Board-level Chief Nursing Officer.
Manny Gnanaraj will take up the role in April 2025, leading our nursing and allied health professionals staff, as well as being responsible for patient safety and quality of care.
Manny originally trained in India, before moving as an international recruit to the NHS in 2003. He has since spent more than two decades in clinical and progressively more senior leadership roles in the south and south west of England, before joining the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust where he is currently Deputy Chief Nursing Officer.
Our Chief Executive, Jinjer Kandola MBE, said: “We are thrilled that Manny will be joining us in April, at what is already shaping up to be an exciting year for the North London NHS Foundation Trust, and it’s particularly significant for us that he is the first internationally-educated nurse from India to become a Chief Nurse in an NHS Trust.
“Colleagues who join the NHS after completing training and qualifying overseas make a major contribution to our organisations, both individually and collectively, and I am delighted that NLFT is demonstrating that talent and leadership of all kinds thrives in our trust.”
Manny added: “I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as the Chief Nursing and Allied Health Profession (AHP) Officer at North London NHS Foundation Trust. It is truly an honour to join this first-class team with a shared vision of providing quality and compassionate care for our patients. I am looking forward to joining the dedicated, values-driven staff, and I am passionate to make a positive difference the North London Way by creating our future together."
Help us shape the future of mental healthcare across North London
Would you like to help us shape mental healthcare across North London?
We are really keen to have local people from each of our boroughs to help ensure we hear about what matters to local people in each of our local communities. A strong and diverse membership means we are better informed about what matters to the people we serve and can continue to improve the services we deliver.
If you live in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, or Islington, have used our services in the last five years, or care for somebody who has, you are eligible to sign up to become a member today!
It’s quick, simple, and costs nothing to do so. Click here to become a member online, or call Civica on 020 8889 9203 to request a paper form or for assistance.
Introducing the Children and Young People’s Youth Board Podcast
We’re excited to introduce the very first episode of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Podcast!
This podcast is a platform created by the passionate and driven young leaders of the Children and Young People’s Youth Board, dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health and empowering young people to thrive.
In this debut episode, you’ll get an inside look at the inspiring individuals behind the Youth Board and the powerful work they are doing to support mental health in communities across the region.
New app to help Londoners give up smoking and thrive in 2025
Ready to give up smoking in 2025? For a limited period Londoners can download a premium version of the SmokeFree app with digital tools, 24/7 support from advisors and free NRT/vape. Learn more here: https://link.smokefreeapp.com/triallta
Our specialist perinatal service is now accepting self-referrals
Our Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS), is a community based mental health service providing specialist assessment and treatment for women, birthing people, their partners and babies with mental health difficulties and who:
London's Great Mental Health Day Friday 31 January
Now in its fourth year, Great Mental Health Day is a London-wide initiative to get us talking about our mental health and wellbeing and to raise awareness of the local support available to Londoners all year round.
Great Mental Health Day is also an opportunity to celebrate and learn from the organisations across the region and those in our communities who are devoting energy and compassion to others.
Having strong, supportive relationships – whether family and support structures or from wider community and faith groups – is one of the most important things we can do to support our wellbeing.
We all need community. We all need connection. And in a world where those who face the greatest disadvantages in life also face the greatest risks to their mental health, we need these safe spaces more than ever.
Great Mental Health Day serves as a vital reminder to pause, reflect, and acknowledge that when times are tough, it’s important that we look after our own and each other's wellbeing.
We know that London is full of amazing communities and people, many of whom want to find ways of helping their friends, families, colleagues, or communities. Great Mental Health Day is an opportunity to come together and explore ideas around the small actions which contribute to a more supportive, caring, and compassionate community.
Pathway Through Pain offers support for people living with Chronic Musculo-skeletal pain
Chronic Musculo-skeletal (MSK) pain affects more than 20 million people in the UK, and more than 1 in every 10 employees live with an MSK condition, ranging from minor injuries to long-term conditions. Besides the physical symptoms, evidence shows a clear link between chronic pain and poor mental health, including anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.
Good Thinking has launched a new pain management programme as part of its suite of mental health and wellbeing resources for Londoners.
Pathway through Pain is an NHS-approved programme designed and delivered by experts to support people experiencing chronic Musculo-skeletal (MSK) pain. Through a combination of physical and psychological therapies, including pain management techniques, exercise, lifestyle changes and cognitive approaches, programme participants learn expert-led pain management strategies that help them to better understand their pain and improve their quality of life.
Please get in touch with your service contact if you ever feel in need of greater support. We are here to care for you. Please look after yourself and support those around you when possible.
