Older people’s community teams praised after achieving prestigious accreditation

The Coastal and Ipswich Older People’s Community Teams of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust have been awarded the prestigious ACOMHS accreditation by the Royal College of Psychiatrists after undergoing a rigorous review.

The NSFT teams were commended by the Royal College for their dedication to providing holistic and patient-centred care and treatment, as well as their commitment to collaborating with patients to enhance the quality of care.

Gail Collyer, Service Lead for Older People’s Community Mental Health Services in Suffolk, said: “This is a massive achievement for both teams and the service.

“I’m very proud of what they have achieved and delighted that the Royal College has recognised their commitment to delivering excellent, patient-focused care.

“I am especially grateful to our patients and carers who gave such complimentary feedback to the reviewers.”

The Royal College was particularly impressed with the Ipswich team’s work on patient collaboration in discharge planning.

They highlighted the work to reframe the language used around discharge, which has increased patient collaboration in discharge planning from 37 per cent to 94 per cent.

The review team noted in their report that “it was commendable how the service takes a patient-focused approach, using feedback from patients as a whole, but also focusing on taking an individual approach to care, by highlighting building a rapport with patients”.

The ACOMHS accreditation programme plays a vital role in ensuring and elevating the quality of community mental health services for individuals with mental health concerns and their caregivers.

Through the programme, staff engage in a comprehensive review process that recognises good practices and high-quality care.

Moreover, teams receive support to pinpoint and address areas for improvement, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.

For more information about the standards used for accreditation, please visit Accreditation for Community Mental Health Services | Royal College of Psychiatrists (rcpsych.ac.uk)