"Feedback on Rowan 1"

How was your experience overall?

The ward was nicely laid out, with good privacy in your rooms, and lots of staff available most days of the week. Four meals a day were provided, and we were allowed access to our phones which was a real plus.

Occupational therapy was brilliant. I’m someone who loves to learn in my free time and am used to playing piano for an hour each day, so giving me access to the piano, and providing courses had me in my element.

There were lots of great staff members who helped, I would like to thank Eileen for being a listening ear and for helping direct me in times of struggle, Rose for introducing me to the recovery college which gave me hope for my discharge, Felix for giving me access to the piano, and Laura and Jan and Theresa for engaging with me even when I was unwell.

However, there were many difficult moments for me, so below I’ve listed a series of areas where I think improvements could be made for patients going forward. These may seem minor but in a situation like this, every little thing helps.

Phone chargers

Provide patients with short lead chargers, so they can charge their phones without risk of strangulation. Have a set of short cable, pre-pack tested, multi-cable usb plugs in each bedroom. This would allow patients to charge any device in their own time instead of having to rely on the ward for this, losing access to communication with loved ones. You could have a few of these ready in the ward and patients could loan one with a deposit to make sure they don’t get lost.

Walking policy

At no point should a patient feel they are being deprived of exercise or fresh air. I knew a patient wanted to go the gym and train more than anything else, so much so that they absconded in order to achieve this. As a result, they were deprived of going outside at all, with no access to fresh air (their room window was even locked as a result of this) – this is not an appropriate response. If somebody attempts to leave the ward or absconds, they should be given a guided care plan which tells them on which day they will be allowed back out, on which day they will be allowed on an escorted walk, and what they have to do to achieve unescorted leave. The current system makes this much too vague for patients. They need clear ‘If this then that’ statements, which show that if you try to escape you get 7 days without leave, and then after that point you are allowed to walk unescorted. Clarity is key in moments where you are trying to make a patient comply. They can’t comply with rules they aren’t being given.

Plants and windows

As for the windows, these should have safety latches installed which limit their opening so people can’t fit out of them, and they should never be locked otherwise you deprive the brain of oxygen and make the patient less well. If you are going to deprive people of oxygen, you should provide plants in the room to help provide some oxygen.

Peer support workers.

This is something that I approved of and found really helpful. The idea of having people who have been through the same situation on the ward is fantastic. My only feedback here is that access to a one to one with a peer support worker who has either your condition or something close to it, should be mandatory for each patient during their stay – provide more peer support workers and have them keep doing what they’re doing!

Talking therapy

Talking therapy should be available to those who need it, or in a group setting. Letting the patients in the hospital really get to know each other through facilitated talking sessions would help them bond and feel calmer in each other’s presence. And having a member of staff to talk to (even if its not a trained therapist) would be really helpful. My suggestion would be that a one to one with a chosen staff member each week be mandatory for all patients and group talking sessions also provided in the ward.

Sports and exercise

Other physical activities such as sport could also be encouraged more to help patients bond. After about a week in there one of the patients brought a football in and we had a kickabout. I don’t even play football at home but having this was great for making us feel happier and healthier and more bonded.

Musical instruments

If patients play musical instruments at home for their mental health (such as piano in my case) frequent access to this would really help their condition. I was eventually allowed access to the piano for 30 minutes a day on weekdays, but unescorted access on weekends would have helped me greatly. If patients are allowed to leave the ward unescorted, they should also be allowed to play an instrument unescorted, especially if the room isn’t being used for anything else at the time.

Healthier food options

There is a connection between what you eat and how you think, a fruit bowl on the ward would be great for improving patients physical and mental health.

Weekends

Weekends were the hardest due to a lack of staff. When the patients outnumber the staff, the energy on the ward becomes negative and hostile. If you are going to get volunteer support coming in, or any extra heads, get them on weekends when they are most needed.

Jobs

Patients should be offered jobs around the ward to feel occupied. This could be anything from making tea to sweeping floors. Coming from working full time to having nothing to do is difficult.

Final thoughts

In people’s time of need we look up to those who are well to help us recover. This hospital is primarily a place of recovery. Using occupational therapy to help patients feel well again, having guided timetables and care plans for each patient so they know where they are, roughly how long they will be there and what steps they need to take to get better are crucial for recovery.