Celebrating Mental Health Nurses working in general practice
Today, Wednesday 21 February, is Mental Health Nurses’ Day. An annual celebration and an opportunity for us to highlight the role of Mental Health Nurses working in general practice.
Mental health nurses are now consistent members of the expanded general practice teams supporting patients across the Frimley area. Around 400 additional team members have been recruited into healthcare roles at general practices in since 2019/2020.
As well as mental health practitioners, this expanded team includes pharmacists, paramedic practitioners and social prescribers who work together to ensure patients get the right care for their needs.
Today we wanted to shine a light on NHS staff like Annette, a mental health nurse working across four practices in Slough. We asked her what attracted her to the role and how she helps people in need.
"I’m now a qualified mental health nurse who works in general practice but I started out as a hairdresser. This is where I discovered the favourite part of my day was spending time with the older clients, providing a listening ear if they needed it.
”Following my interests, I moved on from hairdressing to work in residential care homes, supporting those living with dementia and in 2006 I made the decision to re-train and become a mental health nurse.
“Now fully qualified, I see patients aged 18-90 years. Patients might see me for a variety of reasons, some have a diagnosis and have been discharged from secondary care, some are regular patients who have medication and progress reviews with me and others are dealing with personal circumstances that are affecting their mental wellbeing. We work together to achieve their goals and improve their general health and wellbeing using a holistic approach.
"I am able to spend longer with patients than a GP. My initial appointment is half an hour which I know patients are grateful for. We can talk about many things that may be concerning them in that time. Working closely with my colleagues in the team, including the GPs, I can ensure additional support or referrals are made if required.
"I really enjoy seeing the difference I can make – Often when a patient comes in for a review, they tell me how much our support has meant to them. Being able to link people to services they often don’t know are there to help them, can make a positive difference to the way people are feeling.
“I hope this little insight into what I do can help local people understand how we can help. I encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to get in touch with their GP practice or local talking therapies service and ask for help with their mental wellbeing.”
You can read more about these roles at fhac-archive.frimley.icb.nhs.uk/gethelp