Charity funds electronic tablets to help patients stay connected
DATE: 30 March 2022
NEWS RELEASE
Charity funds electronic tablets to help patients stay connected
Patients at a mental health inpatient ward in Cambridge can stay better connected to the outside world thanks to electronic tablets purchased by Head to Toe – the official charity of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
Mulberry 1, an 11-bed assessment unit for people experiencing acute mental health problems, has received two tablets which patients can use to help organise their lives and focus on their recovery.
Dawn Stewart, Deputy Ward Manager, said: “We’re really grateful to Head to Toe for funding the tablets, which provide a number of benefits for our patients. They needed something to use as they would their own device to protect their confidentiality, so we couldn’t loan them a Trust laptop.
“The tablets enable them to connect to internet banking for example, to look after the finances and resolve concerns, or submit online housing and benefit applications with our assistance if needed.”
Dawn explained that people are often admitted to the ward at short notice and don’t usually have the time to let their families know in advance.
She added: “Sometimes people come in with very little, not even a smart phone or a wallet, so they can use the tablets to contact their families to let them know that they’re safe and update them on how they’re doing. It also makes it easier for them to make arrangements for life outside of the ward ahead of their discharge.”
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Charity funds electronic tablets to help patients stay connected
Funds raised for Head to Toe are invested in projects to improve support and facilities for patients, service-users, carers, and staff at the Trust.
Alex Gordon, interim Manager of Head to Toe, said: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to fund this project. The ward supports people with acute mental health problems, who will often feel very isolated, so the electronic tablets are one way they can better connect with the outside world and make arrangements in time for their return home.”
CPFT employs more than 4,000 staff who provide community physical healthcare for older people and those with long-term conditions, mental healthcare for children and adults, children’s health services in Peterborough, learning disability support and social care support.
ENDS
About Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is a health and social care organisation, providing integrated community, mental health and learning disability services, across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and children’s community services in Peterborough. We support a population of just under a million people and employ more than 4,000 staff. Our largest bases are at the Cavell Centre, Peterborough, and Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge, but our staff are based in over 90 locations. We are a University of Cambridge Teaching Trust and member of Cambridge University Health Partners, working together with the University of Cambridge Clinical School.
For more information contact:
Ben Manton
Communications Officer
