Mental Heath Assessment and Counselling Service: feedback on proposed facilities

Healthwatch Medway was approached to gather feedback about the proposed Mental Health and Counselling Service in Medway. The service aims to provide a dedicated mental health team within the emergency department at Medway Hospital. The team will provide prompt assistance to people who arrive with their mental health as the primary concern, alongside physical care if required.  They spoke to 16 people in total.

There was a lot of interest in the potential of the new service, with many people asking questions about how the new service would work, and how it would differ from existing and earlier procedures.

More support for those experiencing difficulty with their mental health was very welcomed, though there were concerns on how it would fit in with other services and whether there would be enough staff available and a large enough capacity available to meet demand.

There are many ideas on how the service would best be able to support people, and how that may look, including caring staff, a comfortable environment, consideration for safety, and joining up care with other services in Primary Care and the Voluntary Sector.