Posted 04 01 2012 in:

*Avril, Linda and Maureen with the management team at Kisiizi Hospital during the scoping visit*

For the full story about the link between Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (an NHS Foundation Trust) and The Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda and why we are raising money, please read on below.

Situated in a remote area in South West Uganda, Kisiizi is a one hour drive away from the nearest tarmac road.

The Kisiizi Hospital is a 235 bed hospital, run by the Church of Uganda and is reliant on Government, patients’ contributions and private donations for its funding.

The hospital serves a rural population of over 250,000 and has one mental health ward, an outpatient department, a surgical ward and operating theatre suite, a maternity department, a children’s ward, and medical and isolation wards.

The mental health ward is in the centre of the hospital, an open 25 bedded ward caring for all ages, both genders and all mental health conditions.

The ward consists of a small office (also used for outpatient clinics), one open and one small dormitory and a seclusion room that is used when people are in an ‘excited’ phase of their illness. The dayroom is the outside area behind the ward. The mental health staff see outpatients for follow up and hold monthly outreach clinics at two health centres.

How the project began: CWP, a specialist provider of mental health services in the North West of England, was introduced to Kisiizi Hospital by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who have a link focused on physical healthcare. Through their partnership with Kisizzi they identified the need for a link with mental health services.

The project began with a scoping visit by three CWP representatives: Avril Devaney, director of nursing and therapies, Linda Shuttleworth, clinical psychologist and Maureen Wilkinson consultant psychiatrist to assess what was required by the hospital’s mental health services, how the two organisations might work together and how they might learn from each other.

*The Kisiizi Hospital Mental Health Ward*

The clinical officer for mental health services at Kisiizi, Sister Nancy Mwebesa, then visited CWP in November 2010 to further develop links with the Trust.

Working together: We have now agreed the following three work streams:

1. Strengthening interventions in the care of patients with acute mental illness on the ward and building capacity for psychological interventions and occupational therapy
2. Improving mental health services for patients in the wider hospital who have mental health needs that either cause or impact their physical health
3. Strengthening the provision of community mental health care, mental health promotion and to challenge the stigma around mental health in local communities