Fletcher Ward contact information
Bodmin Community Hospital, Boundary Road, Bodmin PL31 2QT
Call the unit office on 01208 251 377.
Fletcher Ward
Fletcher Ward is an acute psychiatric admissions unit offering assessment and treatment for people aged 18 or older, who predominantly are from the north and east of the county.
The ward provide a safe and stabilising environment for people who are in crisis, experiencing an acute episode of mental illness and requiring an emergency admission. Service users may agree to an informal admission or may be detained under the Mental Health Act (2007).
Many of the patients on the ward have complex needs and can be very unwell. Most will achieve a degree of recovery to enable them to leave the ward and return to the community. Whilst this is a short stay ward, some people may stay longer so that appropriate support can be sourced in the community to mitigate readmission.
Fletcher ward has 17 en-suite bedrooms and access to communal gardens and lounge areas. A range of therapeutic activities are available on the ward, facilitated by activities co-ordinators.
The rest of the team is made up of:
- mental health nurses
- medical staff
- psychology staff
- pharmacist staff
- occupational therapy staff
- healthcare assistants
- a physiotherapist
- patient flow co-ordinators and social inclusion
Other professionals may also visit the ward and contribute to a person’s care and treatment, such as:
- housing advisors
- community mental health teams
- second opinion appointed doctors
- other specialist services where appropriate
Our teams work closely and collaboratively with service users, their families and the referrer to provide a seamless pathway from referral to discharge. Our approach is recovery focused and supported by comprehensive multidisciplinary teams, contributing to shorter lengths of stay.
The ethos across our services is about assessing and treating service users in the least restrictive environment and planning for discharge in a robust and timely fashion. With a focus on stabilisation, we support service users to manage their mental health, reinforce daily living skills and prepare for independent life back in the community.
As a Trust, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality care by empowering people, providing compassionate services, achieving high standards, and respecting individuals.
Services for people in west Cornwall
Perran Ward and Carbis Ward at Longreach house offer similar services for people living in the west of Cornwall.
Admission process
A nurse from the team will meet you in reception and help you bring your bags to your room, after we have searched your belongings.
We will ask you a few questions such as confirming personal details, gaining an understanding of the reasons for your admission and what you expect from your stay. We will continue this assessment during your admission.
A member of the ward team will take your height and weight as well as your pulse, blood pressure, temperature and respirations when you are admitted. A doctor will see you within 24-hours to complete a clerking and a medical check-up.
You will have the opportunity to see your consultant psychiatrist at least once a week for review to discuss your care and treatment plan in your ward round.
Named nurses
You will be allocated a named nurse who you can link with throughout your admission. They will be responsible for keeping in close contact with you and the members of your clinical team, ensuring that your care planning and treatment is co-ordinated as appropriate.
The named nurse will also ensure that:
- you and your care team discuss and agree your care plan together
- regular reviews take place (approximately every 2 weeks) of your care plan and treatment
- your care plans are monitored and regularly reviewed, ensuring that progress is recorded
- they are a consistent point of contact for you, your carers and other professionals
- they are available on request for you to meet with to discuss all issues relating to your care plan
What to bring
Coming into hospital can be a difficult time, but we recommend you only bring the essential items you need. The following are suggestions of what you might want to bring into hospital (or that someone could bring in for you), to make your stay more comfortable:
- several changes of underwear, clothing and shoes
- night wear, dressing gown and slippers
- toiletries and personal care items
- telephone numbers, address book and writing materials
- limited amount of snacks and personal choice of beverages if you so choose
- books, magazines and reading glasses
Mobile phones and hand-held tablets can be used but we do not provide internet access.
The ward can provide some toiletries and personal items if you are unable to bring your own. Please ask nursing staff to see if they can provide what you need.
What not to bring
- Large amounts of cash and valuables.
- Items of sentimental value.
- Restricted items such as glass items, sharp items, heated products (such as hair straighteners, hot water bottles), or metal items.
- Prohibited items such as drugs or substances, alcohol, steel toe capped shoes, rechargeable e-cigarettes, or energy drinks.
- Plastic bags.
- Large items or electrical equipment.
- Bedding and quilts.
We will provide:
- all bedding
- towels
- emergency supplies of toiletries
- equipment for art and activities
- food and drink at meal times and there is a café in the hospital
- laundry services with pre-set temp washing machine and dryer
Visiting Fletcher Ward
Read the latest visiting guidelines for our hospitals.
We know you will want to stay in touch whilst your relative or friend is in hospital. Patients can use their own or one of our mobile phones to telephone, video call or message. Please bear in mind the confidentiality of other patients when you do this.
Our ward staff can also help you to stay in touch using a mobile phone. You can also contact or arrange to send messages. Call 01208 834 620 or email the Patient Experience Team to leave a message.
Visiting hours
Our visiting hours are:
- 9am to midday
- 1pm to 5pm
- 6pm to 8pm
Please book a visit by calling the ward on 01208 251 377, so that we can make a private visiting room available for you. We typically would book in an hour visit, however this can be longer on discussion with the nursing team.
If your relative or friend has permitted unescorted leave, it may be possible for them to be collected from the ward outside visiting times.
We are unable to allow children under 18 onto the ward. If you would like to bring a child with you to visit a patient, we have a family visiting room which you can use. Please ask a member of staff for more information
Parking
It is free to park at the hospital. The link car park offers easy access to the ward and includes disabled parking spaces.
Further information
Contacting a patient
You can call your friend or relative between 9am and 9pm on 01208 251 386.
If you would like to discuss your friend or relative with the nursing staff, please call the ward office on 01208 251 377.
There are times when a patient may not consent to staff members sharing information, we are still able to listen to information or concerns you may wish to share. We recognise that family and friends are often a vital source of information as they can offer helpful insights to support a persons’ care.
Referrals
Referrals to Fletcher Ward are made through our Home Treatment Team. Call 01208 256 235.
Comments, compliments and complaints
We are always striving for excellence and acknowledge that we need to continually learn and improve. As a service, we will be disappointed if a patient does not feel they have been offered high quality care and we will want to rectify this for the individual and future service receivers. We therefore welcome comments, compliments and complaints.
If you are unhappy about your care or the care of a relative, you should initially try to speak to a member of staff who is with you at the time or a member of the care team. They may be able to resolve your concerns straight away.
If you are unable to resolve your concerns by talking to a member of staff, contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). The service provides support and advice to patients, their families, carers and friends.
Smoking information
Bodmin Hospital is a smoke free site. Staff will discuss and support you with this during your time in hospital.
All tobacco products will be placed in a locker in the ward reception on your arrival to the ward. Staff will have a key to this and can allow you access during periods of leave. Smoking materials will need to remain locked in there at all other times until you are discharged as this is a prohibited item on the ward.
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the hospital site.
E-cigarettes
If you are an in-patient and prefer to use an e-cigarette, we will support you to do so. E-cigarettes can only be used in outside areas such as the garden or fresh air zone. The Trust cannot supply e-cigarettes. Therefore, patients wishing to use them will need to purchase them themselves.
Many brands of disposable e-cigarette are available, and the designs vary. Check with staff that they meet the criteria below before purchasing or ordering. Only purchase disposable e-cigarettes. There are many outlets for disposable e-cigarettes.