Share review of Berrywood Hospital

Berrywood Hospital 2022-11-21 Person 5 5 0

My wife has been very unwell with Bipolar disorder and in the Berrywood Harbour ward for around 4 months now. I was introduced to [name removed] as my Carer Peer Support Worker very early on and have found her support invaluable. She has spent the time to get to know about me, my wife and 3 children and how we have all been affected by my wifes condition. Its been reassuring to talk to someone who you know has similar experiences to yourself and can empathise with your situation. Sometimes people just need to talk and she has been there for me when I've just wanted to vent with no judgment. [name removed] has also been excellent at signposting various services that both myself and my children have benefitted from. Without [name removed]s input I may not have had the time or energy to find the most appropriate services for us. An example is the Carers Support Microsoft Team sessions that I was invited to attend. These helped me understand how other peoples stories are often very similar and its interesting to hear how they have overcome the challenges supporting someone with mental health issues. I've had many dealings with hospitals whilst caring for my wife and I can genuinely say that this is the first time I have actually felt heard and my opinions considered in managing my wife's condition. I also strongly believe that by having additional support like this myself that I will be in a better position to support my family through the challenges that are sure to come in the coming weeks, months and years. Its also become apparent from conversations with staff on harbour ward that [name removed]s input frees up time for the other staff on the Harbour ward to attend to the patients needs better. I have been included as a valued member within the ward rounds, have had good handovers from the staff when I call to find out how my wife is doing. The staff in harbour ward have been very supportive and have gone the extra mile to help us including setting up the family room for my child to be able to celebrate his birthday with his mum. A massive thank you to [name removed] and all the staff on Harbour ward for their continued care for my wife and the family around her. Its made a difficult situation so much easier to cope with. With thanks [name removed]

Like most of the NHS I am sure things could be even better with more resources allocated to it. I believe [name removed] is the only Carer Peer Support Worker for the hospital, the service she offers is invaluable but there's only so much one person can do across so many people that may be in need of this type of service. If the people that support patients outside the hospital are looked after and get good advice then that must have a direct impact on the patients recovery and ongoing support both during their stay in hospital and once discharged. Please continue to invest in providing what I think is an essential service.