Female Acute Service

Priory Hospital East Midlands acute mental health service is suitable for females over the age of 18. Our 9-bedded service offers personalised treatment programmes to treat a broad range of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and personality disorders.

Our specialist team of nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and consultant psychiatrists work with a recovery focus from admission, by providing the therapeutic techniques and coping strategies that are most appropriate, for a wide range of mental health conditions, including pharmaceutical, diversional and recovery-focused tools. Our service aims 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.

Referrals to the female unit must meet the following criteria:

• Primary mental health diagnosis – presenting with acute psychosis and/or severe mood disorder and often self-harming behaviour
• Informal or detained under the Mental Health Act
• Risk to self or others
• Mental state that requires further assessment or treatment
• Females over the age of 18
• Presenting significant and continued risk to themselves or to others, both on the ward and in the community and who are likely to abscond
• Admitted from A&E, psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs), community services and other mental health settings

On the programme, our teams will:

• Complete a desktop risk assessment on receipt of the referral information
• Respond to the referrer within 30 minutes and agree admission within less than an hour
• Work with referring community teams to identify purpose of admission and discharge planning
• Assess, manage, stabilise and treat an individual with an acute period of mental illness
• Provide regular clinical updates along with guidance on future placements
• Offer full cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based programmes including 1:1 therapies
• Plan for discharge from admission