What to expect
We understand that coming into hospital or accessing a specialist care service can feel like a significant change. Whether you are receiving care in Birmingham, Essex or through our Adult Care Services, our teams will work with you to develop a personalised care plan that reflects your individual needs, goals and aspirations.
Our aim is to inspire hope for your future and help you achieve greater independence, by providing the right level of support and care.
Your care and treatment
When you arrive, you will work with your care team to understand your needs and agree your programme of care and treatment.
Your care will be provided by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Depending on your needs, this may include:
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Nurses
- Occupational Therapists
- Social Workers
- Pharmacists
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Dietitians and other physical health professionals
Your Care Co-ordinator will work closely with you and will be one of your main points of contact.
Your programme may include clinical treatment and therapy, alongside activities that help you develop skills, build confidence and prepare for life outside hospital.
Everyday life
What you do each day will depend on your care plan, your needs and where you are in your recovery.
Activities may include:
- Therapy and psychological support
- Occupational therapy
- Education and learning
- Sport and exercise
- Art, music and creative activities
- Developing everyday living skills
- Volunteering and work experience
- Activities that support relationships, independence and life in the community
We also support physical health and wellbeing. This can include access to physical health professionals, healthy food, spiritual care and activities that support your wider wellbeing.
Developing skills for the future
Recovery is about more than treatment. Everything we do at St Andrew’s Healthcare is about inspiring hope among our patients and service users, supporting you to develop the skills and confidence you need for life beyond St Andrew’s.
This might include managing everyday tasks, developing social skills, accessing education or work and using community facilities.
As you make progress, your care team will work with you to consider what you need for the next stage of your journey.
Staying connected
Family, friends and carers can play an important role in your recovery. Where appropriate and with your consent, we will work with the people who are important to you as part of your care and discharge planning.
You will also have opportunities to share your views about your care and the services you receive; this is called co-production.
Your rights and support
You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to receive information in a way you can understand.
If you need additional support, such as Easy Read information, large print, audio or British Sign Language, you can request this from your care team.
You can also access independent advocacy if you want support to understand your rights, express your views or take part in meetings. [link to the compliments and complaints page as that has all the advocacy stuff]
Patient stories
Everyone's experience at St Andrew's Healthcare is different. Our patient stories share the recovery journeys of people who have received care with us and the things that have helped them move forward.
View our patient stories here.
Find out more
If you or someone you know is coming to St Andrew's Healthcare and you have questions about what to expect, speak to your named contact or care team who will be happy to help.
