Trust wide news
Exec Board members receive LJMU honour
Two senior members of Mersey Care’s Executive Board – Chief Executive Prof Joe Rafferty CBE and Trish Bennett, Executive Director of Nursing and Operations and Deputy Chief Executive of Clinical Services – have been named among 10 honorary fellows to mark the bicentenary celebrations of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
They will receive their honorary fellowships at a ceremony at St George’s Hall, Liverpool on 8 November. They have been chosen because of their “contributions to improving lives across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.”
Some of the other beneficiaries of the award include Nikita Parris, winner of UEFA Euro 2022 with the England Lionesses, Louise Shepherd, Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Andy Cooke, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services.
Virtual Ward wins HSJ Award
Mersey Care’s remote monitoring enabled heart failure virtual ward, run in partnership with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, has won the ‘Safety Improvement through technology’ category at the HSJ awards.
The North West’s first heart failure virtual ward was launched in May 2022, following a successful joint bid from Mersey Care and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) to secure funding from the NHS Digital Health Partnership Award.
The virtual ward, run in partnership with digital health company Docobo and part of our Telehealth Service, ensures heart failure patients can receive the same care by remaining at home as they would expect when in hospital.
M-RIC launches new website
The Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) has launched a new dedicated website which provides further details on the pioneering mental health research that is being undertaken in Liverpool and will have a direct impact on local NHS care and treatments.
Prof Dame Carol Black meets Liverpool health leaders
Government advisor Prof Black author of the influential Black review on drugs, visited The Life Rooms in Walton earlier last month. She met NHS, academic, charity and other sector leaders in a mission to create a joined up approach to tackling drug addiction.
Pictured above (L-R): Co-Director of M-RIC and Academic Principal Investigator Iain Buchan, Professor Dame Carol Black, Chief Executive of MQ Mental Health Research and Chair of Collective Voice Lea Milligan, Director of Addictions and Inclusion at the Government’s Office of Health and Improvement and Disparities Rosanna O’Connor, and Mersey Care Chief Executive Prof Joe Rafferty CBE.
She heard about local challenges and the pioneering work underway to improve mental health services including the new Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre. Further information on her visit can be found on the M-RIC website.
Our 2023 AGM
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 21 September 2023 at Aintree Racecourse and featured presentations from new Chair Rosie Cooper, Chief Executive Prof Joe Rafferty CBE and other members of the Executive Board.
If you didn’t manage to attend the meeting, you can watch both Rosie and Joe and see the slides from the event on our website.
Recruitment update: leadership roles in clinical psychology and a recruitment event for Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Services
We’re recruiting for a variety of leaderships roles (Band 8a, 8b and 8cs) in clinical psychology. The vacancies offer an exciting opportunity for the right candidates to join teams in Talking Therapies, Autism Assessment and Diagnostic Service, Secure Care and Community Care (Children and Young People).
We’re also holding a recruitment event on 25 October at the Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens. The event will be invitation only, following application to one of the roles currently recruiting within Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. Roles include:
- Children and Young Person’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CYWP) Band 5
- Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) Band 5
- Mental Health Practitioner Band 5
- Senior Mental Health Practitioner Band 6
- Senior Nurse Practitioner Band 6
- ASD/LD Senior Practitioner Band 7
- Deputy Team Manager Band 6 and Clinical Psychologist Band 8a.
Please check our website for more information on current vacancies.
Physical Health News
New base for our City Walk-in Centre
Our City Walk-in Centre based at the The Beat in Hanover Street, Liverpool is on the move as part of our plans to further improve and upgrade facilities.
The relocation will provide staff, patients and the local population with access to diagnostic facilities, x rays and ambulance conveyancing as well as the ability to quickly transfer patients requiring emergency medical treatment to the A&E department if required. More information can be found on our website.
Community Equipment Service relocation
Our Community Equipment Service has relocated to new premises at Mersey Reach, Unit 5, Dunnings Bridge Road, Liverpool L30 6UZ. A ‘lift and shift’ has taken place of all equipment, storage shelves and office furniture from the previous location at Graylaw.
Phase two of the renovation works at the new site is now taking place. Once complete, it will allow for more staff to be based there and, once fully operational towards the end of the year, it’s anticipated they will be able to deliver over 40,000 items and collect over 35,000 items annually.
For further information, please contact either liza.alexandra@merseycare.nhs.uk or natalie.briggs@merseycare.nhs.uk
Temporary closure of Old Swan Dental Clinic
Old Swan Community Dental Clinic has closed until 27 October 2023 for improvement works.
All dental patient services from this site will be delivered from another suitable location. Any patients with appointments affected have been contacted and made aware of the changes.
All patient enquiries can be made using the usual clinic phone number: 0151 295 8634. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of this site.
Changes at the pharmacy
The pharmacy staff and service based at Hollins Park Hospital has transferred from Rowlands Pharmacy to Mersey Care.
The service will continue to provide ward and community service medication needs and support the Trust’s Medicines Management Team. Opening hours have been realigned alongside the main Mersey Care Medicines Management Department provision at Maghull Health Park, which are as follows:
- Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm
- Weekends 9.30pm to 1.30pm
- Bank holidays 9.30 to 1.30pm.
Please note these pharmacies are not general high street pharmacies.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact:
Neil.Chilton@merseycare.nhs.uk or Sarah.Rafferty@merseycare.nhs.uk
Mental Health News
Launch of 24/7 Children’s Crisis Response Team
A new 24 hour response team is now available for young people up to the age of 18 experiencing emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties which are causing difficulties in their school, family or social life.
The service is open to children and young people who are registered with a GP in Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington, until they are 18, in crisis and needing an emergency response.
They provide:
- No wrong front door for emergency referrals, providing advice and consultation to professionals, parents, carers and children and young people
- Emergency assessment and follow up
- Brief intervention and home treatment.
Within four hours they will do an assessment, a risk assessment, keep young people safe, offer advice to children and families, working with social care, schools and other professionals.
The team is available on 01744 415 640 and more information about the team and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are available on our website.
Prospect partnership
We’ve updated our website with a series of accessible videos designed to give more information about how Mersey Care works with other organisations to commission secure beds.
Prospect is the Cheshire and Merseyside Adult Secure Lead Provider Collaborative for specialised mental health, learning disability and autism services. It is made up of two NHS and one independent sector organisation that jointly provide these specialised services in our geographical area.
Mersey Cares ZSA train-a-thon attracts over 1,000 people
The joint train-a-thon to mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2023, organised by Mersey Care, Mersey Cares charity and the Zero Suicide Alliance, was very popular with three sessions held.
More than 1,300 people registered for the event and nearly £1,500 was raised, which will be used to support the ZSA’s ongoing work to develop, maintain work, keep their training, resources and tools free.
They’ve also had fantastic feedback from the sessions and requests for more sessions in the future so watch this space…
Feedback shared that:
- 95% rated the session as excellent or good
- 97% rated the content as excellent or good
- 95% strongly agreed or agreed that the training met their expectations
- 100% strongly agreed or agreed that the trainers and presenters were knowledgeable
- 93% strongly agreed or agreed that the training enhanced their knowledge.
Feedback on the ZSA website
The ZSA is also working on improving its website and would like your help.
Please visit the website and share your feedback to let them know if there is anything else you would find useful to include and what might improve your experience on our website. You can leave your feedback by using their online form
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