A service which supports patients with common mental health problems across Norfolk and Suffolk has moved their treatment onto a digital platform to continue providing care during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust supports people across Norfolk, Waveney and Suffolk by providing workshops and one-to-one clinical work under their Wellbeing service.
The trust acknowledged that the number of uncertainties and day to day change during the lockdown period will be affecting people’s mental health and this may lead to feeling unsure, worried about the future and cut off from others.
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To address those difficulties, patients are now able to access their care through their preferred form of communication, whether it be video call, over the phone or instant messaging.
Haley Matthews, service manager, said her teams have been working ‘unbelievably hard’ to ensure the same treatment can be accessed on different platforms.
She said: “It is vital for us to be able to continue supporting people with common mental health problems during this difficult time, which is why we have been so keen to find innovative ways to provide our services.
“Research shows that remote methods are just as effective as face-to-face interventions – even though a clinician is not sitting opposite the service user, they are still receiving the same high standard of care.”
Among the resources on offer, there are web chat hours where people can talk to a professional about their worries – these hours have been extend to between 8am and 8pm.
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Workshops are now being held as live webinars, alongside a series of specially designed sessions to help people manage their lives during the coronavirus crisis.
The subjects of these webinars range from everyday wellbeing, improving your sleep, working from home or in isolation, not being in work, an introduction to mindfulness and mindful living.
A cognitive behaviour package has been developed to include specific chapters about the impact of coronavirus as well as quizzes, book clubs and yoga sessions using Zoom, which aim to keep people connected.
To find out more about how the Wellbeing service can help you, visit their website.
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