MP meets frontline staff at a health care centre to discuss mental wellbeing

An MP got to express his opinions on the mental health services being given by an NHS trust whilst touring around one of the facilities.On Friday, April 11, North West Norfolk MP James Wild was given a tour of Chatterton House which is an NHS place that focuses on mental health.Mr Wild spoke about the mental health services being delivered by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) with some of the frontline staff at Chatteron House.

The visit started with a tour of Samphire Ward which opened in 2019 and offers treatment to inpatients experiencing mental health illnesses and conditions.The ward ensures a safe space for those who can’t always access the support they need at home.James first visited the house in 2022 and this time got the chance to meet ward manager Sophie Coleman to talk about the ward’s person-centred approach and the dedication of the staff who perform the recovery-focused care.

He also met the crisis team and looked at how they manage cases and referrals of people who require urgent care and the team happily spoke on the challenges that they face, the collaboration with other agencies and the importance of timely access to care. James’s office has regular contact with the NSFT so he then led a group discussion on the priorities for mental health services.This included workforce sustainability, career development and exploring ways in which James himself could support the work they do, both locally and in Parliament. The visit ended with meeting the Older Persons Community Team who play an essential role in supporting the community and are adapting innovative approaches to be able to provide assessments and support.James said: “Returning to Chatterton House underlined the crucial role mental health services play in supporting individuals through difficult times.“I was impressed by the professionalism and expertise of the staff and welcomed the opportunity to listen to the challenges they face, as well as to raise issues on behalf of constituents. It is important that mental health services truly achieve the parity of esteem within the NHS that has long been promised.” Dee Hart, Community Mental Health Matron for the Older People in West Norfolk said: “Our teams really enjoyed the chance to explain their roles and all that they do for our local community to James.“Working with older people truly is a vocation for us, and we are dedicated to the older people of West Norfolk and their loved ones whom we work with.“It was so great to have the opportunity to explain the new ideas and pilots for the Community Older People’s Team and how we jointly work with our health and social care colleagues, to formulate strategies for keeping our patients safe and to prevent unnecessary admissions.”Reporting by Abigail Watson