Giving Help to Self Harmers
15/10/2007
Giving self harmers and their loved ones the help they need is at the heart of a new initiative hailed as best practice by other trusts.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been reaching out to patients and carers with two helpful leaflets, and set up a pioneering Samaritans referral scheme for patients.
Self harm is when someone hurts themselves, maybe taking too many tablets, cutting or punching themselves.
The project follows a national awareness campaign by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Michael Anderson, charge nurse at the Emergency Department, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, led the Trust’s Better Services For People Who Self Harm project.
It involved 20 trusts joining together with service users to agree best practice and improve services, and an event was held in London to share learning and improvement. Mr Anderson set up a group with two service users who requested a leaflet on self harming. The Trust has now produced two leaflets packed with practical advice and guidance.
Divisional Director of Medicine, Gill Parker, is delighted with the
results so far.
“I am really pleased we’ve been able to raise the profile
of hard to reach groups, and engage with service users proactively.
“It’s extremely important to work with users as they are
able to give us the feedback we need to help others.”
Helping Someone Who Self Harms is a guide for friends, relatives and
carers, explaining why people need help, and how to go about providing
it.
Packed with suggestions for managing and expressing negative feelings
safely, Help for People Who Self Harm includes alternatives to self harm,
and practical advice on reducing the damage it can cause.
The trust has also set up the first Samaritans referral system, where patients, including self harmers are asked if they would like to speak to someone at the charity. Their details are then faxed to The Samaritans who then call the patients in confidence the following day.
“This patient based approach is making a genuine difference, and
responding to their needs,” said Gill.
“Self harm is often misunderstood, but improvements like this can
hopefully go some way to helping not only those who do, but the people
who care about them.”
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