We offer all patients additional appointments outside of core network hours. Designed to improve patient access, this service includes the following:

• Appointments are available Mondays to Fridays between 18:30pm – 21:00pm.
• Appointments are available Saturdays between 09:00am- 17:00pm
• Appointments will be both bookable in advance and available for same day
• A mix of services will be available within these additional hours with access to the range of health professionals
• The appointments offered include both telephone and face-to-face options

If a face-to-face appointment is requested, this will be at a GP practice in the local area – this may not be at your own GP practice.

Many things can affect our health and well-being; isolation, loneliness, stress, money and housing problems or living with a health condition.

Social prescribing helps people to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to services and activities in their local community. This could include:

• social activities
• walking, well-being and fitness groups
• parent support groups
• arts, gardening and creative activities
• employment and training support
• housing and benefits support

Our SPLW will talk with you about what matters to you. They will help you to identify any issues and challenges that you would like to address and help connect you to services and local community activities that can support you.

To speak to a SPLW, please contact your GP practice and ask for an appointment.

Alternatively, head down to our Social Prescribing Drop In Session at Heckmondwike Library, held every 2nd Thursday of the month 2 – 4pm.

Mental Health Social Prescribing Link Workers (MH SPLW) work with people with a recognised mental health condition who want to access person centred support to improve their health and wellbeing alongside medical support. This includes:

• Patients with a longstanding recognised mental health condition such as depression or anxiety
• Patients who have been newly diagnosed with a mental health condition
• Patients on the SMI register
• Patients discharged from Secondary Care Teams back to Primary Care for who a social prescribing approach would be beneficial (including SPA) *Patient must not be in crisis at time of referral

To speak to a MH SPLW, please contact your GP practice and ask for an appointment.

Alternatively head down to our Mindful Monday Drop In Session at St Andrews Church in Liversedge. It is on every week 2 – 4pm. This is a friendly social group to help those that would like to meet new people, socialise, build their confidence and tackle anxiety.

1 in 4 of us experience problems with our psychological (mental) wellbeing at some point in our lives.

NHS Talking Therapies is a free and confidential service to help people who are dealing with common mental health conditions. Our services offer evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), counselling, and other psychological interventions that are tailored to each individual’s needs. These therapies are delivered through workshops or one-on-one sessions with trained professionals. The aim of NHS Talking Therapies is to empower individuals to manage their symptoms effectively and improve their overall mental wellbeing. Talking Therapies (previously known as IAPT) is a service which provides psychological interventions and treatment for people with the following common mental health problems:

• Agoraphobia
• Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
• Depression
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Health anxiety (hypochondriasis)
• Mixed depression and anxiety (the term for sub-syndromal depression and anxiety, rather than both depression and anxiety)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social anxiety disorder
• Specific phobias (such as heights, flying, spiders etc.)

If you would like to speak to a psychological therapist, contact your registered practice who will help you arrange an appointment.

• SMI stands for ‘severe mental illness’. Conditions like schizophrenia, psychosis and bipolar disorder are considered a severe mental illness.
• People living with a severe mental illness sometimes experience poor physical health. This often means that the person suffers from at least one physical health condition as well as their mental illness.
• Sometimes the person could have multiple physical health conditions alongside their mental illness

People living with a severe mental illness are at more risk of developing certain physical health problems such as lung/chest/heart problems, some forms of cancer and liver problems. There is also an increased risk of diabetes. A comprehensive physical health assessment can help to identify these problems early so that they can be treated and managed as effectively as possible.

Your GP team will be in touch with you to offer you an appointment for your physical health check. You can also contact your GP surgery to book a physical health check.

Reasonable Adjustments
Please let your GP surgery know if you would like extra help such as:

• Having a longer appointment time or having a carer, friend, or peer support worker
• accompany you.
• Arranging your appointment at the start or end of the day, or providing a quiet waiting area if you are uncomfortable in busy waiting rooms.
• Offering extra reassurance or support during blood tests or vaccinations if you have a needle phobia.
• Providing sign language services.
• Arranging transportation to the GP surgery if needed.
• Facilitating a home visit for individuals unable to leave their home.

Mental health service workers, people using the services and people working in voluntary and community services are working together to change how local mental health services are delivered so people with severe mental illness get the help, care, and support they need. The two-year NHS programme is called Community Mental Health Transformation.

This work is happening everywhere and will:

• make it easier for people with serious mental illness to get better coordinated mental and physical health support where they live, personal to them, regardless of their circumstances, cultural or racial background
• give care that makes the most of people’s health, wellbeing, and independence
• improve people’s experience of finding and getting care and improve the outcome of their care.

Children and Young People Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Our CYP MH ACP works with children who are struggling with mental health and offers them assessments, treatment, health education, diagnostics and referrals to other services.

Mental Health Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Our MH Trainee ACP offers assessments, intervention, mental health reviews and referrals to secondary care mental health services where required.