Supporting safer, more informed mental health admissions
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's (LPFT), Every Voice Group is continuing to strengthen patient experience by working directly with patients to shape meaningful improvements across inpatient wards. Recent feedback shared with Patient Partners highlighted that the admission to a mental health unit can feel traumatic, overwhelming and frightening, particularly for people who have never been on a psychiatric ward before and do not know what to expect.
This insight prompted focused work to better prepare patients for admission and reduce stress from the very start of their stay. As part of her Quality Improvement training, Every Voice Patient Partner Michelle Cave consulted with more than 30 patients across LPFT's mental health inpatient wards, including people with previous lived experience of acute admissions.
Many described feeling frightened, unprepared and unsure about what would happen once they arrived. Common themes included:
- Feeling distressed when alarms sounded
- Not expecting staff observations and feeling unsure as to why they were happening
- Uncertainty around ward rules and restrictions about what items were allowed or restricted
- Detained patients felt stressed when they realised they could not freely leave the ward
This feedback made it clear that patients needed clear and accessible information prior to admission to help them feel safer and more prepared.
Co-producing a patient written admission booklet
A new booklet was co-produced, What I wish I knew before I came to hospital , by patients, for patients and has now been rolled out across all urgent care services at LPFT.
The booklet includes:
- Details about mealtimes and daily routines
- Who to speak to if patients are struggling
- Photos of the ward environment to reduce uncertainty
- Descriptions of ward areas and what each area is used for
- Information about room access and privacy
- Roles of the support team and how they can help
- Why some doors are locked
- Details about restrictive practice and how it is used safely
This practical, patient friendly resource aims to reduce fear, improve understanding and support a calmer, more informed admission experience.
A patient admitted to the Havenside Ward, a 19-bed adult mental health unit at LPFT's Norton Lea site in Boston, said:
Reading the booklet first helped me know what was going on. I was really anxious and paranoid but this helped me understand why some things happened.
Millie, who led the project, shared:
I have my own lived experience of being admitted to a hospital 200 miles from home with no knowledge of mental health units how they operate and what to expect it was a frightening experience, so I was not surprised to hear from other patients that this was also their experience. This spurred me on to do something to make a difference for others going forward and so I decided to develop the booklet as part of my Quality Improvement Practitioner training. I spoke with lots of patients to understand the information that was important to them to receive.
This work demonstrates how lived experience, co production and quality improvement can come together to create practical tools that support patient safety and confidence.
For further information please contact Lou Bannister, LPFT Every Voice Guardian: louise.bannister7@nhs.net