Oxleas boost to PRUH A&E

3rd October 2012 News Release

Oxleas’ Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Smith with MHLT Manager Scott Hunt and Dr Angela Bhan, who is Managing Director of Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group.
Download Oxleas’ Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Smith with MHLT Manager Scott Hunt and Dr Angela Bhan, who is Managing Director of Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group.

A south London hospital's A&E; unit is to provide an enhanced mental health service starting later this month.

A new Mental Health Liaison Team (MHLT) provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust will officially start work at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Bromley on Monday 15 October. The nine-strong team will provide a mental health liaison service to A&E; at the PRUH.

The team will comprise of: a team manager; six qualified registered mental health nurses; one part time senior clinical psychologist; one part time qualified occupational therapist; one staff grade psychiatrist; a team administrator and two consultant psychiatrists. The experienced mental health professionals will provide advice and information to people with mental health problems who receive medical treatment at A&E; or other wards at PRUH.

MHLT Manager, Scott Hunt, told a gathering at a launch event today (3/10/12): “With so much change currently in the health and social care services it is vitally important that both mental health and physical health work in partnership to ensure the new team achieves its goals.”

Dr Angela Bhan, who is Managing Director of Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group, the body paying for the new MHLT service said: “It is so important that this service is now in place.” Dr Bhan continued: “It is our intention to better meet the needs of our population. This is about us all working collectively together to produce the best outcomes for patients.”

Oxleas Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Smith, said: “The perspective of the trust is that it is our role to support the commissioners. This new team will help reduce hospital admissions and enable more people to be treated at home.”

The new Mental Health Liaison Team.
Download The new Mental Health Liaison Team.

ENDS

Notes for editors

Oxleas is in south east London and provides mental health and learning disability services in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich boroughs, community health services in Bexley and Greenwich, and specialist services to Lewisham and Kent prisons.

Photo Captions

Caption 1: Oxleas’ Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Smith with MHLT Manager Scott Hunt and Dr Angela Bhan, who is Managing Director of Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group.

Caption 2: The new Mental Health Liaison Team.