Staff from NHS Trust Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) flew out to South East Africa to help provide mental health support at Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda – a hospital the trust has been supporting since 2010.
A specialist team of occupational therapists, nurses and doctors from CWP spent 11 days working closely with staff in the hospital’s mental health unit, assisting with ward, community clinic and home visit duties.
Jenny Milburn, CWP occupational therapist, said: “It was a privilege to spend time at Kisiizi Hospital supporting the doctors and nurses. They do remarkable work to support people’s mental health with very limited resources. CWP has been raising money for the hospital through Jamie’s Fund for a number of years and it’s great to be part of this positive relationship.”
The team conducted training sessions – focusing on medication doses, health equipment and face to face treatment – to ensure staff at the hospital were well equipped to provide the best possible care.
They also joined service users and carers for activities aimed at both improving the conditions of the ward environment and helping with the recovery journey, including painting sessions, stencil printing and tea making.
CWP’s Dr Unwana Etteh said: “In the short time we spent in Kisiizi we were able to achieve a tremendous amount. We made several outreach visits to rural areas for patients who otherwise would have been unable to access mental health services, as they lived more than three hours away on poor roads. Some of the stories we came across were absolutely tragic, but we were able to introduce sustainable methods that will help.”
With the support of the CWP team, a patient who had previously been treated on the ward at Kisiizi took up the new role of recovery mentor and will provide support and lived experience to people affected by mental illness.
Dr Niall Campbell, CWP trainee psychiatrist, said: “We need to continue to raise the profile of psychiatry through continued visits and training to make mental health matter. Staff support and fundraising here is vital.”
The CWP team donated a large number of toys, games and toiletries which were distributed across all wards. Since returning they have also continued to support the hospital, raising more than £150 at a recent trust bake sale. This will go towards supporting the work of Kisiizi Hospital’s recovery mentor.
