Charity-funded app helps patients improve their physical health
Mental health patients are taking steps to improve their physical health with the help of new software purchased by Head to Toe, the official charity for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
CAMEO (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Assessing, Managing and Enhancing Outcomes), a mental health service for people aged between 14 and 35 years, who are struggling with distressing experiences like hearing voices or feeling paranoid, is piloting the My PT Hub app, which support patients to exercise at home. The county wide service provides psychological therapies, medical consultation, emotional support, practical help with housing and finances, support with education and employment, and physical health assessment with targeted interventions.
Richard de Rosa, CAMEO Practitioner (pictured with the App on his smart phone), said: “We know that people suffering mental health illness often suffer with their physical health as well, so we also encourage exercise and provide nutritional advice. However, during the pandemic when most appointments were online I started to look at the digital tools available to help patients take more control themselves.
"The app funded by Head to Toe encourages exercise activities, nutrition alerts, and sets tasks that allow me to monitor their mood. The early results are very promising, so I’m hoping we can roll it out further so more patients can benefit.”
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: “Thanks to our donors and fundraisers we’re able to support great projects like these. We’re so pleased that Richard got in touch to see if Head to Toe could help fund this creative solution to providing remote exercises sessions.”
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.
For more information contact:
Mark Cole
Communications and Engagement Manager
E: communications@cpft.nhs.uk