“If it wasn’t for your outstanding support, I would have felt trapped and alone. I am extremely grateful for what you do.”
Service User, Independent Mental Health Advocacy
Paul Moore, Advocacy Service Manager for The Advocacy Project, discusses in this article published in the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s PICU newsletter, the vital role that an IMHA plays in the safeguarding of patients at a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit. IMHAs are specialist advocates who are trained to work within the Mental Health Act (MHA). They provide an additional safeguard to people detained under the MHA, both to those in hospital and those conditionally discharged or subject to a community treatment order.
In his article, Paul and Dr Mehtab Ghazi Rhaman, a Consultant Psychiatrist from the ward, discuss how a key aspect of the IMHA role is patient empowerment, especially for those without family or carers. IMHAs give clients information and help them make informed decisions about their care, giving them more control over their future.
“Our IMHAs at Nile Ward do a fantastic job of ensuring that patients’ voices and opinions are represented at all times during their stay on our ward.”
Dr Mehtab Ghazi Rahman, Consultant Psychiatrist at Nile Ward PICU
Congratulations to our staff member Paul for the publication of such an interesting and informative article. If you’d like to find out more about our advocacy work, visit our ‘What we do‘ page, or to see some examples of how we help individuals have autonomy over decisions about their health and social care, and the difference it can make to their lives, visit our ‘Real stories about real people‘ page.
If you have a question you can’t find an answer to, you can also email