Called ‘Improving the physical health of people with mental health problems: Action for mental health nurses’ the guidance provides evidence-based information designed to help mental health nurses improve the physical health and wellbeing of their patients, and to ensure that people living with mental health problems have the same access to health checks and healthcare as the rest of the population.
As part of its research the Department of Health ran a national consultation last year asking for examples of good practice in improving physical healthcare. As a result Cygnet Health Care submitted a piece on the work Cygnet Hospital Beckton has done to become smoke free. We were delighted to see that, out of the many submissions that the Department of Health received, Cygnet Hospital Beckton’s work was cited as an example of good practice in the guidance.
“This is great recognition of the work Beckton and the wider group are doing to support smoke free services. The guidance will be really important in enabling mental health nurses to make a significant contribution to improving the health outcome of people with mental illness.”Julie Kerry, Director of Nursing and Patient Experience
The work carried out by the team at Cygnet Hospital Beckton helped lay the foundations for Cygnet’s Smoke Free Strategy which was officially launched on 6th April 2016. The strategy includes a commitment that all of our hospitals will be smoke free by 2018.
Download Department of Health guidance