The diversity and range of our services is demonstrated below by our speech and language therapy teams in Ealing and their work on Stammering Awareness Day as well as a new partnership that sees us offering mental health support to students and young people - who’ve undoubtedly suffered more than most throughout the last two years. The trust has been competing for a number of national awards recently, including winning one for our work to support frontline health and care staffacross North West London.
We were very pleased to welcome Dr Derek Tracy as our new Medical Director and Dr Christopher Hilton as Director of Local & Specialist Services. Both bring a wealth of experience in community and mental health services, as well as academic and Royal College links, which in time will greatly benefit our service users and their carers.
We’re expecting a difficult winter ahead across the NHS, so please play your part by boosting your immunity and getting your vaccinations for flu and your Covid booster – as detailed below.
Princess Eugenie visits Askew Ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Unit
The Trust was delighted to showcase the amazing artwork at Askew Ward created by the mental health art charity, Hospital Rooms to HRH Princess Eugenie.
The patients at Askew Ward were heavily involved in the project, which saw five art installations created by world famous artists over the course of a year. The end result is an environment that invokes hope and recovery.
Safe Spaces open in Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow
The Trust has partnered with Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind to provide Safe Spacefor local people in the three boroughs. The space offers a safe and more appropriate alternative to Accident and Emergency.
This year’s winter plan for the NHSin England focuses on vaccination as a key defence against Covid-19 and respiratory illnesses, such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Sadly, flu and Covid-19 can be life threatening, so boost your immunity this winter and protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and those you care for – with a flu vaccine and a Covid-19 booster.
Our mass vaccination centre at CP House in Ealing reached the fantastic landmark of delivering their 100,000th vaccine in September. Read more here.
Award winners
The Keeping Well Service won at this year’s Positive Practice Awards for supporting staff wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The service (a partnership between West London Trust and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) was one of the first in the country to be set up as an immediate response to the pandemic to support the psychological wellbeing of NHS and social care staff including volunteers, London Ambulance service, staff providing care to others in the community and in care and residential homes. Read more here.
World Mental Health Day
'Mental health in an unequal world' was the theme for this year's World Mental Health Day (10 October). The Trust is committed to ensuring that mental health services are available to all. Our BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnics) transitional leads are working on a number of initiatives to help tackle inequalities in mental health.
Black History Month
Throughout October the Trust celebrated Black History Month by recognising the contributions of NHS staff from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds. From cooking classes to fashion shows, the Trust is proud to be representing a diverse workforce.
The Trust celebrates Diwali
In celebration of this year's Diwali, the Trust invited celebrity guest speakers Daksa Mistry and Kadam Verma to an on-line event to talk about their experiences, their industries and how they celebrate Diwali. Hosted by Nina Singh (Director of Organisational Development and Workforce), and attended by more than 70 members of staff, this Trust wide event was entertaining, engaging and inspirational.
International Stammering Awareness Day
International Stammering Awareness Day took place on 22 October. To celebrate, the Ealing Speech and Language Therapy team (part of Ealing Community Partners) created a short video to raise awareness about stammering including some invaluable tips on how to support people who stammer. To watch the video, click on the YouTube link.
Trust partners with UWL to support students’ mental health and wellbeing
The Trust has teamed up with the University of West London (UWL) and its Students' Union to deliver tailored mental health and wellbeing workshops for students from diverse communities over the next two academic years. Read more here.
