Devon Partnership NHS Trust has published a summary of its aims, plans and priorities for 2015/16.
The Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services across Devon (excluding Plymouth), has a number of exciting initiatives and projects under way – including plans for the county’s first Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and a specialist inpatient mother and baby unit.
It is also planning to expand its successful Liaison Psychiatry services at the acute hospitals in Barnstaple, Exeter and Torbay. These support people in hospital with physical health needs who may also have mental health and learning disability needs. The Trust is also striving to provide as many services as possible within Devon so that people don’t need to travel outside the county – for example secure mental health services for women, which aren’t currently available locally.
Commenting on the publication, Chief Executive, Melanie Walker, said: “Mental health and learning disability services are continuing to climb the agenda at both the national and local level – and we are delighted about this. We want mental health and wellbeing to achieve an equal status with physical health. We are definitely moving in the right direction and our two local Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England are very supportive.
“Despite a tough financial environment across the NHS, we have ambitious plans in place to improve our existing services and to develop new ones. We already have many services in Devon that have attracted national attention – for example the Street Triage service that we operate in partnership with the police – and our mission is to become a centre of excellence in mental health and learning disability over the next five years.”
View the summary of our plans and priorities for 2015/16 here.
For further information contact Peter Leggatt on 01392 208693.