Priory Hospital Barnt Green

Situated approximately 10 miles South West of Birmingham city centre, Barnt Green is newly refurbished and offers a pathway of care within a modern setting, for the West Midlands region. We provide:

• Acute services
• Psychiatric intensive care services (PICU)

Acute service

We aim to achieve minimum lengths of stay by providing an extension to NHS care pathways during times of fluctuating demand. Our team works closely with referring Trusts and we work collaboratively with discharge teams, to ensure a smooth transition back into existing community services, or to an individual’s home where possible.

Our aim is to assist any patient within our acute service, to understand and treat their condition, using National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) approved interventions that help to recognise and prevent triggers for relapse. Our psychiatrists and therapists encourage patients to fully engage with their treatment programme.

All treatments provided are flexible to meet requirements and personal circumstances, and may include:

• Medication reviews and interventions
• Psychological intervention
• Management of self-harm and hostility
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions where appropriate
• Management of physical health care needs
• Formulating problems/diagnosis using a biopsychosocial model
• Crisis planning and relapse prevention
• Anxiety management
• Practical help with basics of daily living skills
• Problem solving

We provide personalised treatment programmes in safe, calming and comfortable environments for those with the most complex of care needs.

Psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU)

Priory's experience of supporting people with complex needs and challenging behaviours, along with co-existing issues (such as substance misuse), puts our new service at the forefront of specialised intensive care. Our psychiatric intensive care services support patients in a severe phase of illness, who cannot be managed in an acute service.

The PICU service offers a therapeutic and supportive environment to promote recovery. Clent Ward provides:

• Large spacious single gender accommodation
• Therapy and activity space
• Open access to fresh air via the secure gardens
• Access to seclusion facilities when this would be beneficial to the patient

Lengths of stay vary, and are dependent upon individual need and response to treatment. The focus is to move patients to a less restrictive environment once mental state and behaviour has stabilised. We continually liaise with local NHS services to ensure that there is the effective transition of care on discharge or transfer.

Our team

Our NHS services offer a multidisciplinary team approach, working collaboratively to support patients through periods of crisis. We work closely with patients to promote wellbeing and recovery to ensure the patient remains central to their care. We also work with patients and their families to assess and identify health, social and support needs. Our overarching philosophy of care is based on positive behaviour support (PBS) to promote wellbeing and recovery.

Our multidisciplinary team consists of psychiatrists, a nursing team, and a therapies team consisting of psychologists, occupational therapists, social work, and wellbeing activity workers.

Who we support

• Individuals aged 18 years or over in need of psychiatric intensive care who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Individuals with a wide range of mental health conditions in need of rapid assessment and admission, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
• Individuals at risk of violence and aggression, and who’s behaviour may be unpredictable
• Those who present significant and continued risk to themselves or others, and who have a high absconsion risk in non-secure acute settings
• Patients may be admitted from A&E, acute services, other PICUs, police custody, community services and the community