MENTAL health care in Gloucester has been voted among the best in the UK after an award by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
The 2gether Trust run Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit has been awarded official Accreditation of Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMS).
It is the second time the 10-bed unit has been given the accolade, which it will now keep until late 2015.
Unit Manager James Wright said the achievement – at the highest level of 'excellent' - demonstrated the PICU is one of the UK's best.
"This is evidence that PICU services in Gloucestershire continue to be among the best in the country," he said.
"We continue to receive visits from other NHS Trusts and services across Europe, who are seeking to develop their services along the same lines as our model, which incorporates the Engagement, Activity and Physical Health Team (EAP).
"We remain an influential advocate in developing, inspiring and innovating practice within the field of PICU and are well represented within the National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care.
"It's marvellous that we have maintained this standard, and great news for our service users, local communities and, of course, all the staff that work here." The PICU was opened in 2010 in the grounds of Wotton Lawn Hospital, in Horton Road.
The centre provides care and treatment for people whose safe management and treatment is not possible on an open acute ward. It has 10 individual bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
The application for AIMS accreditation includes service users and family carers checking progress against a number of care and organisational standards. Accreditation is only granted following a visit from Royal College of Psychiatrist assessors, who check current practice within the Unit. AIMS was set up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to identify and acknowledge services with high standards of organisation and care, and with a view to helping other healthcare providers to achieve these standards.
To read more about the Royal College of Psychiatrists, visit www.rcpsych.ac.uk.
To read more about Greyfriars, visit http://www.2gether.nhs.uk/greyfriars-picuto say about Gloucestershire.
The 2gether Trust run Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit has been awarded official Accreditation of Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMS).
It is the second time the 10-bed unit has been given the accolade, which it will now keep until late 2015.
Unit Manager James Wright said the achievement – at the highest level of 'excellent' - demonstrated the PICU is one of the UK's best.
"This is evidence that PICU services in Gloucestershire continue to be among the best in the country," he said.
"We continue to receive visits from other NHS Trusts and services across Europe, who are seeking to develop their services along the same lines as our model, which incorporates the Engagement, Activity and Physical Health Team (EAP).
"We remain an influential advocate in developing, inspiring and innovating practice within the field of PICU and are well represented within the National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care.
"It's marvellous that we have maintained this standard, and great news for our service users, local communities and, of course, all the staff that work here." The PICU was opened in 2010 in the grounds of Wotton Lawn Hospital, in Horton Road.
The centre provides care and treatment for people whose safe management and treatment is not possible on an open acute ward. It has 10 individual bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
The application for AIMS accreditation includes service users and family carers checking progress against a number of care and organisational standards. Accreditation is only granted following a visit from Royal College of Psychiatrist assessors, who check current practice within the Unit. AIMS was set up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to identify and acknowledge services with high standards of organisation and care, and with a view to helping other healthcare providers to achieve these standards.
To read more about the Royal College of Psychiatrists, visit www.rcpsych.ac.uk.
To read more about Greyfriars, visit http://www.2gether.nhs.uk/greyfriars-picuto say about Gloucestershire.