Sarah Jones MP Visits Bethlem Royal Hospital
Sarah Jones is the MP for Croydon West and Minister for Policing and Crime. She is a lifelong Croydon resident who has also previously volunteered with the Trust.
Sarah Jones MP with Trust colleagues at Chelsham Ward
The visit began with a stop at the new central hub for CCTV, which was launched earlier this year to improve patient safety across the Trust, followed by a visit to Chelsham ward.
Nicola Gower, General Manager for the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults Management Team and Ward Manager, Regina Abban led a tour of Chelsham ward. It provides inpatient assessment, treatment and care for people aged over 65 with acute mental illness or people aged under 65 who have dementia. It was an opportunity to share the work staff do to support service users back into the community, and the challenges faced.
Nicola Gower said, “Older Adult services are not always high visibility so to have a visit from Sarah Jones MP was a great opportunity to showcase all the positive work on Chelsham Ward at the Bethlem. Sarah was interested in all the groups taking place and spent time with patients talking life on the ward and what was important to them. She also spent time with a carer, understanding the importance of this role during admissions.
“Staff felt really positive about the visit and Sarah's understanding of the challenges in navigating social care as part of discharge planning.”
Sarah Jones MP and Interim CEO Ade Odunlade
The visit concluded with a chance to speak to Interim CEO Ade Odunlade in the Green Room, which is a space onsite for staff to rest, relax and recharge.
