Mental Health Services

The UHB provides mental health services to a population of around 500,000 people and with an estimated 1 in 6 of us being
affected by mental health problems at some time in our lives, this is a health issue of concern to us all.

Mental health, as an issue, is widely recognised as a key health area that has been neglected for many years and recent government level audits have highlighted the urgent need for investment and development.  There are also concerns that the predicted "rising tide" in numbers of older people will result in increased demand for specialist mental health services for older people.

11 electoral wards in the area covered by the UHB have high mental illness needs index (MINI ) scores - up to 30% higher than the rest of Wales. Cardiff in particular has high rates of addiction and homelessness compared to the rest of Wales.

These pages give a comprehensive overview of current services as well as an insight into the way the service model is developing.

 

 

 

 

Adult Acute services cover the Cardiff and Vale area and are focussed on providing a community based model of care.  Most referrals to adult acute services originate from the primary care services such as your local GP.  Recent developments have established services that allow patients to be treated very early on which avoids admission into hospital or allows early discharge. 

Specialist Rehabilitation Services

 

Mental Health Rehabilitation services provide support to patients with severe and enduring mental health problems.  Referrals generally come from adult acute or community mental health services.  Two inpatient wards remain, but the service is largely community based.  Some 24 hour supported units support those with intensive rehabilitation needs, while supported housing and a developing community team offer less intense support.  The aim of the service is to maximise the independant living skills of mental health service users, enabling them to manage life with sometimes chronic mental illnesses. 

 

 

Older people's mental health services provide care to people who suffer late life onset mental health problems (functional illness) or one of the dementias (organic illness).  A range of community, day hospital and inpatient services cover the UHB area with a community focussed model of care. Inpatient servies offer assessment, respite and continuing assessment beds.

 

 

Neuropsychiatry services cover all Wales and ofer a specialist service to people with acquired brain injury.  As the result of trauma resulting in damage to the brain, changes in function can result in severe behavioural disturbances which mainstream services find particularly difficult to care for.  This is where a specialist Neuropsychiatry service is able to offer advice, support or intervention in challenging circumstances.  The service has close links with the UHB's Neurosciences department, with some staff working between the two services.

 

 

Neuropsychiatry services cover all Wales and ofer a specialist service to people with acquired brain injury.  As the result of trauma resulting in damage to the brain, changes in function can result in severe behavioural disturbances which mainstream services find particularly difficult to care for.  This is where a specialist Neuropsychiatry service is able to offer advice, support or intervention in challenging circumstances.  The service has close links with the UHB's Neurosciences department, with some staff working between the two services.

 

 

 

Whitchurch Hospital was commissioned 100 years ago as the Cardiff City Asylum, providing inpatient care for the surrounding population. At this time, a person was "certified" as mentally ill by a Magistrate before admission to the Asylum was made.  Very often, someone so admitted would spend the rest of their life as an inpatient.

 

Over the years, definitions, treatments and environments have developed with the times - for example, we refer to "mental health" services - not "mental illness" services as in the past.  Mental health services are becoming more focussed on supporting people in their own familiar environments, avoiding admission to hospital wherever possible.  Similarly, recovery from an acute episode of mental ill health is now helped in environments as "normal" as possible, reducing the institutionalisation experienced by patients in times past.

 

The development of new, fit for purpose units, together with the continuing development of alternatives to hospital admission is well under way.

 

It is widely recognised that Whitchurch hospital can no longer provide the healthcare environments needed for a 21st century health service and the links below are to key reference documents that drive these service developments.

 

 

 

 

 

The two new builds for Cardiff and Vale UHB mental health services are now underway.  At the Whitchurch Hospital and University Hospital Llandough sites, groundworks have commenced in preparation for the construction work to start.

 

 

 

 

Funding has been secured for a 2 year project to offer a Traumatic Stress service to service people.  The service aims to accept referrals via the Internet (website under construction) as well as via the phone and mail.

Please check out the Community Veterans' Mental Health Service website

 

 

 

Early in 2009, full size mock-ups of a typical bedroom (one from each scheme) were opened up for viewing and comment over several weeks.  Statutory services, such as Health and Safety, Infection Control, Fire safety, etc. made visits, but Service Users, clinical staff and principal stakeholder organisations were well represented at the open days, too.

 

Everyone visiting was encouraged to leave written comment - whether positive or negative - either about the schemes as a whole or as detailed as the design of a tap.  All the comments have been collated and reviewed by the Project Teams and, where possible, will be incorporated into the final designs.

 

The documents below (one for each scheme) contain more detail about the room mock-ups and the consultation sessions, with listings of the most common comments and observations.

 

 

 

 

Project Manager: Elaine Newman

Completion date: Approx 2011

 

Description: A new Assessment Unit is to be built for older people's mental health services at the Llandough Hospital site. All assessment services will be based there, both organic and functional assessment, in inpatient and day hospital facilities. The siting of this unit on a General Hospital site will allow for easy access to medical diagnostic services.