Nottinghamshire Healthcare, the county’s mental health and learning disability Trust, marked two important accreditations at a special certificate presentation on Monday 17 March, hosted by Mike Cooke, Chief Executive.
The Trust’s Electro-convulsive Therapy (ECT) clinic and Ward A43, both based at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), have both successfully received accreditations from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, with Ward A43 being the first assessment ward in the country to achieve this accreditation.
The ECT clinic has been re-accredited following its second three yearly assessment of the quality of its service, achieving a rating of over 94%. Taking six months to complete, the assessment comprised an audit and analysis of over 300 areas, including environment, equipment and personnel, with input from staff and a visit from an external assessment team.
The assessment ensures the highest standards of care in this often controversial area of treatment; ECT has been approved by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and remains the most effective treatment for severe depression.
Ward A43 at the QMC, which takes all acute adult inpatient admissions for a period of assessment, has also received recognition from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, achieving Level 2 in the Accreditation for Acute Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMS).
The rigorous assessment identifies and acknowledges wards that have high standards of organisation and patient care, and recognises the achievements of staff. The 12-month review process was carried out by a panel of clinicians and service user representatives focusing on a range of areas including admissions, care pathways, staff training, patient safety and the therapeutic environment; interviews with service users and carers were also used to inform the review.
Sue Thornton, General Manager for Adult Mental Health, said: “We are really pleased to receive these two important accreditations, which demonstrate that the services we provide are of the highest standards. We have worked hard to achieve these fantastic results and it is thanks to the dedication and experience of our staff that we have been able to develop these services and ensure that the people who use them receive the best possible care.”
