Enter and View: the Southmoor Suite

The Southmoor Suite is a dedicated space for patients experiencing a mental health crisis who present at the Emergency Department of Wythenshawe hospital. The area is  staffed by mental health professionals who complete mental health assessments and signpost people to the most appropriate treatment or service.

The purpose of the visit was to:

• Observe the environment and routine of the venue
• Speak to patients about their experience in the practice, focusing specifically on the appointment booking system and consultations.
• Give staff an opportunity to share their opinions and feedback about the service.

Upon our arrival to the Southmoor Suite, we found that the department was locked and thus we couldn’t go inside. Despite ringing the buzzer outside the department, no staff answered the alert. After speaking with a member of staff at the A&E desk, we were allowed access to the Southmoor Suite. Upon entering the Suite, we were surprised to find there were no staff or patients present in the department and that the door automatically locked behind us. As no HWM staff or volunteers had access to a key fob, we were locked in the department.

During this time, HWM staff and volunteers completed their observations of the internal environment. Shortly after this, the Team Manager from the Mental Health Liaison Team was notified of our arrival and came to the department to speak with HWM and unlock the door for us to exit. 

Overall we found that the staff in the A&E department were friendly and helpful when approached by HWM. Moreover, the Team Manager of the Mental Health Liaison Team was friendly and welcoming once she arrived.

Furthermore, the department itself was mostly clean however HWM staff/volunteers noticed that the bins were full and had not been emptied. These bins were also not secured to the floor, allowing for patients in distress to potentially use them to harm themselves or others.

Finally, HWM noted that as the doors required key fob access to both enter and leave the SS, a patient would be unable to abscond easily for the department, making it a safe place for patients.

To read our full report including our more findings and our full recommendations, please follow the download link below.