About this location
Located in Meriden, Warwickshire, Priory Hospital Solihull supports the NHS by offering mental health recovery and rehabilitation (R&R) services for males and females.
The service is arranged across three separate wards and supports patients who have severe and enduring mental health needs, including treatment-resistant illnesses.
Priory Hospital Solihull has a good track record of success stories and we maintain close links with community teams and commissioners, involving them with the patients’ recovery journey and giving regular updates on progress.
Services at a glance
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Services
We provide support for adults with complex mental health needs and we accept referrals from all over the UK (although most of our referrals come from local Trusts within the West Midlands). Referrals are mostly received from acute wards, community mental health teams and secure services.
We ensure that our patients are given the highest quality care whilst admitted to Priory Hospital Solihull, to promote their recovery and enable transition back home or into community services, wherever possible.
Ward break down
- Arley Ward – 10-bedded longer-term rehabilitation ward for adult females
- Elkin Ward – 10-bedded HDU/complex care ward for adult males
- Millison Ward – 11-bedded community rehabilitation unit for adult males
Arley Ward functions as a complete rehabilitation pathway for our female patients, comprising features of both the high dependency unit (HDU) and complex care.
On Elkin Ward, we focus on we focus on stabilisation, symptom control and the development of relapse prevention skills, to maintain improvements and support patients to progress with their community reintegration.
On Millison Ward, our patient group develop their independent living skills and focus on community engagement outside of the hospital, as they work towards the transition into community living.
Conditions treated
We are able to support people with:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychosis
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Schizophrenia
We can also support people who present with the following challenges alongside their primary diagnosis:
- Personality disorders
- Autism
Most of the people staying with us come from acute mental health services, both independent and NHS. We are able to support informal patients or those detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA).
Treatment approaches
At Priory Hospital Solihull, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients. Our focus is to promote recovery in a way that is meaningful for each individual that we work with. In collaboration with patients and families, our ultimate aim is to improve people’s understanding of their needs and develop confidence in independently managing their health and wellbeing.
Our main goal is to work with people and give them hope by helping them to understand where they are right now, where they want to get to in the future and, most importantly, how we can collectively help them to get there. We use a variety of assessment tools, which give us a balance of patient and clinician views, and encourages collaborative working to help everyone achieve their goals. These tools are repeated at regular intervals to demonstrate what progress has been made.
Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse multidisciplinary team (MDT). People within our service tend to stay with us on a long-term basis to full understand and support their rehabilitation needs, usually between 1 to 3 years, with discharge when appropriate. The aim of this longer term admission is to support patients with relapse prevention so that the likelihood of needing a crisis admission in the future is minimised.
Our team
We have a full MDT, providing medical, nursing, occupational and psychological services. Our team consists of:
- Hospital director
- Director of clinical services
- Ward and deputy ward managers
- Senior nurses
- Senior healthcare assistant/s
- Consultant psychiatrists
- Consultant clinical psychologists/assistant psychologists
- Junior doctors
- Occupational therapist (OT)
- OT assistants
- Fitness instructor
- Advocacy services
We also provide specialist staff training, including:
- PBS training
- Autism awareness
- Learning disability awareness
Therapeutic and community-based activities
We offer a range of therapeutic and community-based activities as part of a full treatment programme. We want to support people to become more confident and independent, preparing them to move through their treatment pathway towards community living.
Our therapeutic and community-based activities include:
- Cooking assessments
- Maintenance skills group
- Real work opportunities (paid employment within the service)
- Relapse prevention work
- Practical skills such as road safety, kitchen safety and budgeting
- Substance misuse group
- Wellbeing project
- Hearing voices group
- Exploring recreational/leisure activities in the community
- External vocational opportunities (college & volunteer work)
- Bi-weekly intensive exercise sessions provided by a personal trainer
- Supported grocery shopping for our self-catering population
- Introduction to our senses
- DBT skills
- Express yourself
- Understanding emotions
- Anxiety, stress and anger management
- Interpersonal communication
The ethos of the hospital is one of positive risk taking and an acceptance that ‘practice makes perfect’. This allows patients to try out their new skills in a non-judgemental environment and learn to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.
We also offer in-depth assessments, including ASD, ADHD and cognitive assessments. Individual psychology sessions may include, but are not limited to:
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - Psychosis
- Cognitive analytical therapy (ACT)
- Acceptance commitment therapy (ACT)
- Compassion focused therapy (CFT)
- Mentalisation
- Trauma informed intervention
Our facilities and environment
We believe that the environment in which treatment takes place is just as important as the treatment itself, when it comes to supporting our patients. Our large grounds provide a safe and therapeutic space for people to recover from their mental health difficulties. We provide:
Our garden offers a lawn area, patio area with furniture, football pitch, planting areas, polytunnel, allotments and a BBQ area. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags and adjustable kitchen counter tops, for people to use. There is also a bath on-site on the community facing ward.
Our bedrooms
All of our bedrooms are single-occupancy and have an en-suite bathroom. Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us. We provide:
Exclusion profile
People under the age of 18.
Pathways
Priory’s network of high quality facilities enables us to offer joined-up care pathways with our dedicated residential services. We offer programmes which integrate healthcare treatment and therapy, which are tailored according to individual needs, in an appropriate setting.
We are able to provide a seamless transition for the individual as they progress between higher and lower dependency services. Male patients are able to move from our HDU/complex care ward (Elkin Ward) to our community facing ward (Millison Ward).
All patients can be discharged into the community from any of our wards, if appropriate, and female patients may be able to step down to a community facing local Priory service, if required. We are also developing pathways for people to step down into Priory Adult Care services, to further promote independent living.
A message from our site leader
At Priory Hospital Solihull, our focus is to promote recovery in a way that is meaningful for each individual that we work with. We are passionate about working in collaboration with our patients and their families. Our ultimate aim is to improve patients’ understanding of their needs and develop confidence in independently managing their own health and wellbeing.
Priory Hospital Solihull site leader - Aimee McCooey
Information for family and friends
How do home visits work?
We encourage all of the people staying with us to maintain regular contact with friends and family. Patients are able to utilise leave home or to visit family/friends if the MDT has agreed this leave in advance.
What is your visitation policy?
We don't have any restrictions on visits however, we ask that visits are arranged in advance so that protected mealtimes, medication times and therapy sessions are avoided. Visitors are unfortunately unable to stay overnight, however there are nearby hotels available if required. Family and friends are welcome to eat with patients at a subsidised rate if arranged in advance, and hot drinks are always available during visits.
Will I be involved and kept up to date with my loved one’s care and wellbeing?
Yes, we encourage all patients to use their own mobile phones. However, there are times when this may be restricted, due to risk. Our hospital has incoming phone lines, and there are cordless phones on all wards which can be used at any time. In addition, we can support patients to purchase their own mobile phone if they don’t have one already.
Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?
Yes, we encourage all people staying with us to use their own mobile phones. However, there are times when this may be limited, due to risk factors. Our hospital has incoming phone lines, and there are cordless phones on all wards which can be used at any time. In addition, we can support patients to get their own mobile phone if they don’t have one already.
What type of things are families expected to provide, and what is provided by the home?
People will need to provide their own clothing and toiletries. On admission, everyone will receive a welcome pack with some essentials.
What are the bedrooms like?
Every bedroom has a bed, bedding and basic furniture, such as a chest of drawers, wardrobe, bedside table and chair. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, with a shower, toilet and wash basin. Our rooms can be personalised with people’s own furniture and decorations, where appropriate.
Are external doors kept locked?
All of our external doors are locked for general site security. Patients may have escorted or unescorted leave within the hospital grounds or out into the community, depending on their needs. Patients may request to leave the ward to utilise leave and staff will sign them out if they have the correct leave in place and are risk assessed as safe to go out. We have a large garden area which patients are free to use any time.
What do service users eat and how do meal times work?
Breakfast is self-service and lunch and evening meals are prepared fresh by the on site catering team. Snacks are also available at all times. Patients are supported to choose what they want to eat at mealtimes; there is always a choice available, as well as easy-read menus. Our team also seek guidance from patients, their family members and healthcare professionals to ensure that special dietary requirements are catered for. On Millison Ward, we encourage patients to self-cater as often as they are able to.
How does laundry work?
Arley Ward and Elkin Ward have a shared commercial grade laundry room that is accessible to patients. Millison Ward has a domestic laundry room on the ward. Patients are encouraged to do their own laundry however staff will support them if required.
Is there anything they can’t bring or have?
We would ask that people do not bring valuables such as family heirlooms to our hospital, as we cannot guarantee their safety. We may place restrictions on some items, where the risks cannot be appropriately managed, for example, scissors, medications and razors may be restricted if needed.
Are pets allowed?
Patients may be able to have pets, dependent on their individual needs and their ability to care for them, as agreed by the MDT. Pet visitors are also very welcome.
How do activities work?
Every patient has a personalised timetable that includes recreational activities, one-to-one and group therapies. There are a variety of activities and therapies available, and these are developed with input from patients and the MDT. These include on-site activities as well as visits into the community.
Do service users and families have an input into the service user’s care plans?
We fully encourage patients and their families to be involved in the assessment and care planning process as well as our monthly MDT meetings which is a meeting between our patients and their clinical team. Care plans are reviewed monthly and patients and their family members are invited to contribute. We always welcome family feedback on progress and family can contact the team at any time.
What are the car parking facilities?
We have a large carpark on-site, which is free to use.
What is the smoking policy? Can service users buy cigarettes?
Priory Hospital Solihull is a smoke free site. Patients, staff and visitors are required to leave the hospital grounds if they wish to smoke. We do permit vaping in bedrooms and within the ward courtyards and hospital grounds. While we can support patients to purchase cigarette and vapes at the local shop, we also have a full smoking cessation programme available, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
How is treatment accessed and funded?
We don’t take referrals directly from individuals and families. Referrals are received from referring organisations, namely the NHS. Once a referral is received, our clinical team will arrange a face to face assessment as soon as possible. If accepted for our service, the funding authority (NHS) will need to approve funding prior to a handover meeting and admission being arranged.
How to make a referral
Our customer service centre provides 24/7 support for NHS mental health enquiries and referrals. Our customer referral co-ordinators can support you from your first call right through to the enquiry conclusion, providing updates throughout the process. We offer 24/7 crisis referrals, fast access to bed availability and placements, and a single access point for end-to-end enquiry management.