Audit of a Group Programme for Inpatients in an Acute Mental Health Setting

Abstract

This article documents an audit of the ward occupational therapy service in the Hartington Wing, an Acute Mental Health Unit in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital NHS Trust. A revised service based on ‘open-door’ groups aims to make occupational therapy more accessible at the point of admission and more responsive to changing needs, and it drew praise at the unit's last visit from the Mental Health Act Commission. The findings of the audit demonstrate increased uptake of occupational therapy, with patient contacts almost doubling and the time taken from referral to first patient contact being significantly reduced. The ward nursing staff were positive about the changes but their perception of the occupational therapist's role in ward group programmes remains unclear.