Our Services
Professor Dan Joyce named as Mersey Care's new Research and Innovation Director
Professor Dan Joyce has been appointed as Mersey Care’s new Director of Research and Innovation and will spearhead their research agenda, innovative projects and collaborations.
Professor Joyce took up his new position on 1 December 2024 and succeeds Professor Nusrat Husain, who has served in the same role for the past two years. He aims to create a dynamic and inclusive research environment that nurtures creativity, fosters inter-disciplinary collaboration, and drives scientific breakthroughs. More information can be found on the website.
New £61 million partnership between Mersey Care and Alder Hey
Liverpool City Council have announced two new public health contracts worth £100 million including an innovative new five-year partnership between Mersey Care and Alder Hey to deliver 0-19 services across the city.
The £61 million contract will enable the two trusts to develop the network of family hubs, which will feature specialist roles in infant feeding, mental health, research, and safeguarding. They will also deliver enhanced contact points for vulnerable children and families, coupled with a clear and robust offer for schools. More information can be found on the Council’s website.
Mersey Care in the media
Readers of the Metro newspaper may have noticed our winter advertorial advertising campaign highlighting our Talking Therapies service and our ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign signposting people to the right service during the colder months.
NHS Talking Therapies offer free NHS therapy for people with common mental health problems like anxiety, depression and stress, to help you change the way you feel by changing the way you think.
It can also help with other problems like panic attacks, phobias and post traumatic stress disorder. This service is provided by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and is for people aged 16 and over across Knowsley, Liverpool and St Helens and over 18 in Halton. Further information can be found on the website.
Our Help Us Help You campaign plays a vital role during the colder months, when demand on key service is at its highest, in directing people to the right service and ensure A&E departments and inpatient beds are restricted to those who need them most. Our website page has a wide variety of information.
Mental Health Care Navigator joins Halton Recovery Team
A new mental health navigator, Fran Stulberg, is now part of the Halton Recovery team and supports service users to access the wide range of services provided by the voluntary sector, dependent on individual needs and goals.
After working with a service user with mental health difficulties who is also predominantly deaf, helping them integrate into the Weaver Arts Group in Runcorn and resolving issues with their flat and safety, Fran has now established a Predominantly Deaf Peer Social Group.
Launched in October and held at the Grangeway Community Centre, more information about the group can be found by emailing fran,stulberg@merseycare.nhs.uk
Eating Disorder Service in Liverpool moves to second site
Our adult eating disorder service in Liverpool, based at Rathbone Hospital site, now also provides a service from Vortex Court, Suite A, Ground Floor Building 2000, Vortex Court, Enterprise Way, Wavertree, L13 1FB. If you need further information, please call 0151 471 7751.
New name for Knowsley service
Our Achievements
NHS Providers highlights The Life Rooms case study
NHS Providers, a membership organisation for NHS trusts and foundation trusts that provide healthcare services in England, has published a case study into the work of The Life Rooms, our service which concentrates on supporting people to improve their health, wellbeing, and social circumstances.
The Life Rooms featured in the NHS Providers daily briefing as an example of how trusts are using health hubs to tackle health inequalities. The new collection of case studies has examples of trusts delivering community-based services to improve patient access and experience, ultimately aimed at reducing demand for secondary services.
Sefton Community Matron earns Queen’s Nurse title
Laura Jones, a community matron working in Sefton, has been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse for her continued commitment to high standards of patient care and continually improving practice.
Dr Crystal Oldman, Chief Executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, presented Laura, who qualified as a registered nurse in 2005, with her award at a ceremony in London.
Volunteering Day Transforms Peasley Cross Hospital Garden
Mersey Cares, our official charity, teamed up with contactor GRAHAM for our community-focused volunteering day to enhance the garden at Peasley Cross Hospital.
GRAHAM and a team of sub-contractors kindly gave their time and donated materials to transform what’s known fondly as the ‘secret garden’ – a space which means so much to volunteers, patients, service users and staff.
To support the revamp, over 40 volunteers and staff, including members of the Recovery Team and the Participation and Engagement Team joined forces with students from St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School to breathe new life into the garden.
Our Research
Mersey Care leads new anti-psychotic drugs trial
Mersey Care is leading a new clinical trial (GOTHIC2) which aims to test the effectiveness of medications in treating the side effects from antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia.
Excessive drooling, or hypersalivation, is a common reaction to Clozapine, the most effective drug for ‘resistant’ schizophrenia. Stopping taking it is not always a viable option as it may lead to symptoms of schizophrenia becoming worse.
GOTHIC2 aims to investigate this issue, which is a major problem for patients, carers and clinicians, and plans to investigate alternative medications, hyoscine hydrobromide and glycopyrrolate, and compare them to a placebo in treating hypersalivation.
The study aims to recruit 252 patients on clozapine experiencing hypersalivation across England and will last for 48 months.
‘Count Me In’ event staged in Liverpool
The Trust jointly staged a new ‘Count Me In’ event with the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) at Liverpool Science Park recently, which aimed to gather support for the innovative system which will help Mersey Care expand research and innovation to improve future care and treatments.
‘Count Me In’, which is due to go live soon, will allow Mersey Care to contact patients and service users about potential research opportunities that are relevant to them, unless they choose to opt out.
“This reduces the burden on healthcare professionals by directly connecting researchers with potential participants through a secure process. This new way of working means service users will have more opportunities to get involved in research opportunities that are relevant to them, so by being counted in they can make a real difference in improving NHS treatments,” explained Dr Oladayo Bifarin, Research Effectiveness Lead at Mersey Care.
The event concluded with breakout workshops, providing attendees with the chance to ask questions, share ideas, and explore how they could support Count Me In. All feedback will be considered in the further development of the 'Count Me In' campaign.
Get Involved
Mersey Cares charity searches for ‘Secret Santas’ to help kids this Christmas
Can you be a Secret Santa for a child or young person accessing our services this Christmas? Mersey Cares has launched its annual Christmas present appeal to ensure more children and young people can experience the joy of receiving a gift this festive period.
Gifts, which can be chosen until 13 December, have been carefully selected by our children's services teams and include toys, games, gift cards and books as well as toiletries, baby items and comfort items – available to select on the charity’s Amazon Wishlist. Alternatively, you can make a monetary donation.
Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) update
We are asking everyone who is referred to our community mental health services to fill in short questionnaires (PROMs) to help us plan care and agree recovery goals. By completing this questionnaire (PROMS) you will be:
- helping us understand what’s going on in the patient’s life and how they feel so we can plan care together
- making sure patients can play an active part in making decisions about their care
- helping us understand if what we’re doing is working or needs to change
- helping us understand what works best and develop our services for the future.
PROMS are completed and reviewed several times throughout the patient’s journey to see how they’re doing. Information may be shared, for example, as part of a referral to another service. For detail, visit the website.
MC Magazine
Coming soon MC magazine winter issue (out 13 December).
Read real life stories, including:
- Psychosis – a psychiatrist asks why are we still so silent?
- Menopause – isn’t it time we listened?
- Naga Munchetty exclusive – women and pain
- You’ve Got To Laugh – the power of a chuckle
- Balancing Act –the challenges of working from home.
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