March 2013
Powys Children and Young Peoples Bibliotherpy Scheme - Reading Buddy Intervention
Here are some further detaills about the second winner of our 2013 Bursaries programme which each year awards small grants of up to £3,000 to successful applicants from within the primary care mental health sector across Wales.
Our second successful bursary recipient was the The Powys Children and Young Peoples Bibliotherpy Scheme - Reading Buddy Intervention project which is being run by a partnership between CAMHS and Powys Children and Young Peoples Partnership (CYPP) until the end of March 2015.
The project aims to empower children and young people to more effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings and make changes to improve their mental health and well-being.
The overall goal is to produce a prescription "bibliotherapy scheme" which guides children and young people to access self-help material and produce a therapeutic outcome through an increase knowledge and understanding about mental health issues.
Since the programme's inception in 2003 there have been 24 recipients and this year we decided to award this sum to projects which encourage innovation in the local delivery of Part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure and raising awareness of mental health or well-being issues.
For further information about the Powys CYPP project please read and download the following document - The Powys Children and Young Peoples Bibliotherpy Scheme - Reading Buddy Intervention.
Since our Bursary programme's inception in 2003 there have been 24 recipients who have each received up to a maximum of £3,000.
Applications were open to anyone with a link to Primary Care Mental Health in Wales and those able to demonstrate a clear and justifiable benefit in relation to the aims of our bursaries programme.
If you're interested in finding out more about our bursaries please visit our Bursaries section or contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
Dementia Outside Care (DOC)
Last week we announced the winners of our 2013 Bursaries programme and here are some further details of the first of this year's 2 successful applicants.
Our first successful bursary recipient was the Dementia Outside Care (DOC) project run by Crossroads Care Bridgend which will run from April until the end of December this year.
The project aims to improve the experience of dementia patients and their carers and plans to achieve this goal by:
- Demonstrating and disseminating a person-centred approach to care while provide respite and other services
- Outreaching to carers through primary services (e.g. GP surgeries and and memory clinics)
- Developing improved communication, relationships, knowledge, understanding and wellbeing of carers and cared for through interagency working and coordinated approaches
This year we decided to open up the application criteria to specifically include projects aimed at dementia as part of our strategy to support the National Dementia Vision for Wales and this project fulfills this criteria
For further information about the DOC project please read and download the following document - Dementia Outside Care (DOC).
Since our Bursary programme's inception in 2003 there have been 24 recipients who have each received up to a maximum of £3,000.
Applications were open to anyone with a link to Primary Care Mental Health in Wales and those able to demonstrate a clear and justifiable benefit in relation to the aims of our bursaries programme.
If you're interested in finding out more about our bursaries please contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
Previous WaMH in PC Bursary Winners
Following the announcement of our latest WaMH in PC Bursaries winners we thought it would be interesting to provide you with a full list of our previous winners.
Since the programme's inception in 2003 there have been 24 recipients (including this year's two successful applicants who you can find out more about from last week's Winners of 2013 WaMH in PC Mental Health Bursary Programme Announced blog post on this site) who have each received up to a maximum of £3,000.
This year we decided to award this sum to projects which encourage innovation in dementia care, in the local delivery of Part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure and raising awareness of mental health or well-being issues.
However, in the past our bursaries have paid for a wide range and variety of mental health projects and research including:
2012 Bursary Winners
- Early Identification of Dementia in Primary Care - The use of an aide memoir ‘memory check card’
- Enhancing Depression Management in Primary Care
- INFORM
- Raising Awareness of Mental Health Issues in Primary Care: A Training Programme for Non Medical Professionals
2010 Bursary Winners
- Audio Based Meal Support for Individuals with Eating Disorders
- Telephone CBT for Individuals Experiencing Common Mental Health Problems in Swansea's Wellbeing Service
2009 Bursary Winners
- Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for the Prevention of Relapse in Depression
- Perinatal Support Group
- Therapeutic Strategies for Patients and Carers Living with Cancer
2008 Bursary Winners
2006 Bursary Winners
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Exploration of Women's Emotional Experiences up to 10 Years After Induced Abortion
2004 Bursary Winners
- Flintshire Young Persons Mental Health Promotion Project
- How to Break the Barriers and Bridge the Gaps
- New Mothers Support Group
- Volunteering on Prescription - An Action Research Pilot
2003 Bursary Winners
- A Web-Based Approach to Self-Help
- The Bereavement Support Service
- The Cardiff Book Prescription Scheme
- The Towy Valley Mental Health Project
If you're interested in finding out more about our bursaries please visit our Bursaries section on this website or contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
Winners of 2013 WaMH in PC Mental Health Bursary Programme Announced
The winners of the 2013 WaMH in PC Bursaries programme have been announced.
In total 6 bursary applications were received this year and the final winners year were as follows:
- The Powys Children and Young Peoples Bibliotherpy Scheme - Reading Buddy Intervention - Partnership between CAMHS and Powys Children and Young Peoples Partnership (CYPP) aiming to empower children and young people to more effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings and make changes to improve their mental health and well-being
- Dementia Outside Care (DOC) - A Crossroads Care Bridgend project aiming to improve the experience of dementia patients and their carers
Our annual programme of bursaries offers small grants up to a maximum of £3,000 and this year we have decided to award projects which encourage innovation in the following areas:
- Improve the experience of dementia patients and their carers
- Supporting the local delivery of Part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010.
- Raise awareness of mental health or impact on mental wellbeing or improve mental health promotion
This year we have decided to open up the application criteria to specifically include projects aimed at dementia as part of our strategy to support the National Dementia Vision for Wales.
Applications were open to anyone with a link to Primary Care Mental Health in Wales and those able to demonstrate a clear and justifiable benefit in relation to the aims of our bursaries programme.
If you're interested in finding out more about our bursaries please contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
RCGP Launches First International Appeal To Aid Global Health
Our parent organisation is launching its first international appeal in a bid to put family medicine at the heart of global health.
As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has joined forces with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) to create 60 for 60.
Based on realising the goal of creating a ‘world where family medicine excellence is at the heart of healthcare’, the appeal aims to raise £60,000 to fund work in Africa's developing nations.
This is equivalent to just £1.30 from each of the RCGP’s 46,000 members and would make it possible to start the project which aims to establish a legacy to empower local health workers in sub-saharan countries to deliver and teach effective primary care in their own communities.
Specifically, 60 for 60 aims to improve maternal and child health mortality rates through the provision of sustainable, community-based health promotion and training - with programmes run by embedded GPs - starting in Sierra Leone.
The ambition isSierra Leone is a country recovering from a brutal 10-year civil war and which has some of the worst health indicators in the world.
To make a small donation (of £10 or under), text RCGP60 and the amount £1, £2, £3, £5 or £10 (for example RCGP60 £10) to 70070 or make a donation via the 60 for 60 Just Giving page.
WaMH in PC has an interest in the College as we were established by its Welsh branch back in 2003 to act as a special interest working group to promote primary mental health care and improve mental health services across Wales.
Getting The Measure Right Free Events
We are offering health practitioners a unique opportunity to meet with key professionals and develop best practice in primary care mental health with 2 free events during the month of May.
Each event will help health boards to benchmark how they are progressing in developing services under Part 1 of the Measure, to share best practice and use a panel of experienced professionals from across Wales to assist managers and staff to develop innovative solutions to problems that have been encountered.
Our "Getting the Measure Right!" interactive, half-day events support the implementation of Part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure and are aimed at:
- Managers
- Team Leaders
- Primary Care Mental Health Support Staff at all levels
- Policy Makers
- GPs
- Health Boards
- Local Authorities
- Third Sector
We would encourage boards to send staff from all levels to ensure the learning reflects the reality of how their services run and are also looking to benefit from the experience of practice-based staff, team leaders and managers.
The first event is due to take place on 2nd May 2013 at Technium OpTIC in St Asaph followed a week later by a second event on 9th May 2013 at the Richard Ley Development Centre in Swansea.
Each day will involve an intense and practical meeting with concrete and effective outputs which will make a difference to both staff and patients and places are limited so please book early.
To register please complete our Getting The Measure Right Registration Form and return the completed form via email to our Project Manager Lesley Hills at lhills@rcgp.org.uk.
Numbers permitting - you will receive a confirmation email in due course with further details about the programme for each day available on our Getting The Measure Right Flyer.
Active Lifesfyles Help Stave Off Dementia
A new university study has found that exercising four times or more a week can help stave off dementia.
Download the National Dementia Vision for Wales document
King's College London has found that undertaking this kind of physical activity childhood helps protect the brain from the onset of dementia in your later years.
The College fund that men who undertook physical activity more than four times a week were found to have lost a 33% less of their brainpower by the age of 50 compared with those who did not exercise.
It also found that women benefitted from a 25% reduction and even those who exercised just once a week saw their mental decline lessened by 10 per cent.
For further information please read Nick McDermott's Exercising four times a week from childhood 'helps stave off dementia and increases brain power by a third' story on the Daily Mail website.
Much work has taken place in Wales recently to identify the areas that need to be addressed to improve the lives of those with and affected by dementia.
This has led to the creation of the National Dementia Vision for Wales which provides a long-term vision to ensure Wales can best meet the challenge of an increasing number of people living with dementia across the country.
In response to this need we launched a new Dementia section on this website last summer which includes links to a range of support and advice agencies and organisations and practical help such as Free Dementia Training for medical professionals.
If you have any questions about WaMH in PC's work with dementia in Wales please contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
English Health Care Stuggling With Dementia
The English health and care system is "struggling" to cope with dementia with both hospitals and care homes failing in key areas.Download the National Dementia Vision for Wales document
The Care Quality Commission found dementia patients in hospital are more likely to face longer stays, be readmitted and die there while care homes are not doing enough to keep patients well.
The Commission announced the conclusions after reviewing more than 20,000 of its inspections and analysing existing data and the news spread right across the BBC after it broke yesterday.
For further information please read Nick Triggle's Health and care system 'struggling with dementia' story on the BBC
Unfortunately, dementia is not just a problem affecting England with statistics showing that just over 42,700 people currently live with dementia in Wales.
Much work has taken place in Wales recently to identify the areas that need to be addressed to improve the lives of those with and affected by dementia in the hope that situations like those highlighted by the Commission don't become the norm in our own health care system.
This has led to the creation of the National Dementia Vision for Wales which provides a long-term vision to ensure Wales can best meet the challenge of an increasing number of people living with dementia across the country.
If you have any questions about WaMH in PC's work with dementia in Wales please visit the Dementia section on this site or contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
Online Support From Action on Hearing Loss
After our recent series of posts about helping people suffering from deafness and hearing loss we'd like to introduce you a valuable online resource from one of the country's leading charity's for deaf people.
Action on Hearing Loss is the new name for the RNID and has more than 1,000 staff, 1,092 volunteers and more than 20,000 members who support its work across the UK.
The organisation's aim is to create a world where hearing loss doesn’t limit or label people and where people value and look after their hearing and they have a resource-packed website to help support this goal.
One of its more important sections is entitled Supportng You where you can find the answers to a range of questions related to deafness and hearing loss.
This includes specific GP Support section where you will find information about the impact of undiagnosed hearing loss, how to give the best service possible to patients with hearing loss and making your surgery accessible among other things.
There is also a comprehensive Care and Support section where individuals, carers and professionals can find out about how the organisation can provide advice and support to help them find services to meet their needs.
For further information you can contact the Action on Hearing Loss Information Line via telephone at 0808 808 0123, via textphone at 0808 808 9000, via SMS at 0780 0000 360 or via email at informationline@hearingloss.org.uk.
Self-Help Prescription For Severe Depression
We noticed a story online which outlined how a new study has concluded that self-help books or websites should be offered routinely to patients with severe depression.
The research - published in the British Medical Journal - comes after the RCGP endorsed a scheme by the Reading Agency charity for GPs to prescribe self-help books to patients with anxiety, depression or relationship problems.
It found that people with severe depression experience at least as much improvement in their symptoms by reading self-help material as those with milder depression with full details available on the following link - Self-help books should be prescribed for severe depression.
On the same front, the Welsh Government already runs a self-help book programme to help people with mild to moderate emotional problems called Book Prescription Wales which prescribes self-help books which people borrow from any branch library across Wales.
The scheme helps people access information, guidance and tips on ways to self-manage their conditions with further information available by downloading the Book prescription Wales - information leaflet.
