News

As the NHS celebrated 75 years, the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club, along with the Porthleven Gig Club, paid homage to our health service with a row out to the Penzance promenade.

The Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club launched in October 2022, and has since seen around 50 people join to improve not only their physical health but also their mental wellbeing. However joining a new club can be daunting for some. To help combat this, the club has launched their new ‘Row for Health’ initiative.

Sarah Sejahtera is our education mental health practitioner and supervisor in our mental health support team for schools. Sarah joined the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club in October, but it took until January to build up the confidence to attend.

“We recently surveyed all our pilot gig club members. From their feedback, the one thing everyone has said is how friendly and welcoming our club is. Along with how much they have got out of joining, but they appreciate how hard it can be to join an established sports club. Usually this is due to a lack of confidence or feeling not sporty or fit enough” comments Sarah.

“To support people to improve their physical and mental health, we are going to offer a buddy scheme to all new members who would like some support and to accompany them to come along to the harbour to see the boat, be taken out in the boat and then have a go at rowing. We will also offer specific rows for health, so you can be buddied up with someone with the similar health goals as you.”

To join the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club or find out more about Row for Health, call Julie on 07730 587 532. You can also email the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club, visit the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club website or find the Penzance and Newlyn Pilot Gig Club on Facebook for more information.

Read NHS 75 Row for Health…

As the NHS celebrated 75 years, we were delighted to mark the occasion by joining the South West Coast Path Association as it celebrated 50 years.

In a brand-new initiative set up by the Trust’s Wellbeing Team and in partnership with the South West Coast Path Association, the walk not only marked a timely double celebration, but it also demonstrated the importance of staff wellbeing and why being available to do something away from work can have a positive impact on your mental health.

The walk was well attended by employees from across the Trust and was led by Jack Greaves, Coast Path Connectors Project Officer, for the South West Coast Path Association.

Jack says: “We run a project called the Coast Path Connectors. The idea is to encourage people to use the South West Coast Path for wellbeing, mental, physical health, socialising because it is a free resource on our doorstep in Cornwall. I have been working with the Trust to set up test walks for the NHS staff. It is a high stress job so it is just to highlight that the coast path is there. It's a tool that we can use to get away from our day-to-day stresses.”

Taking in some of Cornwall’s most beautiful coastline, the group walked from Polkerris to Gribben Head and then down to Poldridmouth Cove. They stopped for lunch, before completing the 4.5-mile loop through Menabilly and back to Polkerris.

One of those taking part in the walk was Gary Wheildon, Health and Wellbeing Practitioner, from the Trust. Gary has been organising the partnership alongside Zara Miners, Trish Quinn and Dan Lashbrook from our Wellbeing Team.

He commented: “We are here today primarily to celebrate 75 years of the NHS which is fantastic. The South West Coast Path Association is 50 this year as well so it combines quite nicely. They are delivering some free training for us to be able to lead walks. They are also offering free guided walks for staff which is an awesome opportunity for staff to get out and about and do things. The uptake has been brilliant. We have been lucky that staff have been able to come out and join us for the walks. It is a partnership we are looking to roll out over a prolonged period.

“Lots of people will get out on the coast path in their personal time. What we are trying to do within our role in the Wellbeing Team is get the message out to staff individually and in teams and say: "Can you be creative in finding ways to access wellbeing for you?". We understand that work pressure is going to dictate, so people cannot do things like today. The message is if it is not this what else could it be? How else can you engage? With a walking meeting maybe? There are loads of ways teams can get more active, getting out in fresh air. It is something you have got to do within your work setting so you have got to be a bit more imaginative how you do it."

He added: “The messaging we have had from the Trust and both chief executives has absolutely been that wellbeing is a priority for staff. I know that there might be staff that think it is hard for them to access that, but that is the message and what we are trying to do is spread that message wider so that people take opportunities if they can.”

Coming from various roles across the Trust, people still managed to take time out of their busy working week to take part in the walk, and Gary is encouraging more staff to follow suit following its success.

He says: “People have been amazing today to carve time out to come and do this with us. It just goes to prove that if you do not ask: "Can we go and do this?", if you are not feeling confident enough to ask then you will always keep doing the things you have been doing. Whereas people have challenged that today to get here and the answer has been "yes". So clearly there is support and there is opportunity for things like this today.”

There are already plans for more walks to take place in the future. With so many stunning routes to enjoy in a county famed for its spectacular coastline Trust staff are going to be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a walk to enjoy.

Gary added: “What we are going to be doing is taking it out and about around the county. We can provide walks that are more bespoke level. It does not have to be as long as it is today, it could be a different route. It is just asking and challenging what your popular beliefs might be and about what you can and cannot do in regard to wellbeing.”

Read Trust joins South West Coast Path Association to mark NHS 75…

The use of Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) to treat depression has divided opinion for many years. Staff at Bodmin Community Hospital’s ECT unit are aiming to dispel the stigma surrounding the treatment after witnessing first-hand the positive impact it has had on patients.

On the wall of the ECT reception is a noticeboard filled with thank you cards, from patients and families, expressing their gratitude for the positive and sometimes life-changing impact this often-misunderstood treatment has had.

ECT has come a long way since it was first developed in 1938 when the use of enough electric current through the brain to cause a seizure was used as a treatment for severe schizophrenia. With the development of technology and research over the decades, ECT is far more refined now, though there remains a highly sceptical stigma attached to this treatment.

However, ECT is an effective treatment for some types of mental illness. When other treatment options, such as psychotherapy or medication, have not been successful, ECT is considered. As a treatment, ECT is usually given twice a week taking place under general anaesthetic. During this short period of time your brain is stimulated with short electric pulses. As well as an anaesthetic, a muscle relaxant is also given which reduces how much your body moves during the fit.

Rita McNary is the Unit Manager at Bodmin Community Hospital’s ECT Unit. With over 40 years' experience of working for the NHS, she is keen to dispel the myths surrounding ECT. She says: “It has had very controversial publicity because people do not often understand what we do. We have an efficacy of 75% to 80% success rate which is very high in mental health.

“People that come to us are fully assessed, both physically and mentally to make sure they are physically fit to have the treatment. They must undergo a general anaesthetic, be it a small one, so they do not feel anything. They are asleep when they have the treatment. We pass a small amount of electricity across the brain. It is not like massive volts which people tend to think it is a terrible thing, which the media has portrayed over the years. The treatment is very quick, and the side effects are minimal. There is a lot of controversy over memory loss, which is one of the main side effects, but people do tend to regain their memory quite quickly after treatment has finished.

“One of the rewards of working here has been the amazing recovery that we see of patients. Some people are not eating and drinking, they are lying in their bed, they are very suicidal. We see them go from that to fully conversing, eating, and drinking, smiling, chatting, and often saying ‘you’ve given me my life back.’

“We only treat people twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) which is the national recommendation. They can consent for 12 treatments at a time if they are able to. But some people may require more whereas others require less. It depends on the person, it is very individual.

“Everybody who is treated should be under the Mental Health Team because obviously they are very poorly people. They are referred by a psychiatrist to our team. We are known as a referred in service, so every referral comes to us, and our experienced consultant will assess them.”

The unit is also accredited by the ECT Accreditation Service which assures and improves the quality of the administration of ECT. This year the team were recognised for their outstanding delivery of high-quality care in the face of adversity (after moving into alternative clinical accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic) when they received the ‘Most Improved Team’ award at the joint ECT Accreditation Service and Nalnect Forum in London.

Rita says: “We eventually moved back to our original building and almost started again in developing our team, improving staffing levels and looking at a longer-term business plan to take our service forward. The team worked very hard in ensuring continuation of care and supporting each other. We are striving to reach a gold standard service for our patients who we think fully deserve this.”

Read Positive results aim to dispel myths surrounding ECT treatment…

A new program which aims to improve the lives of people living with neurological conditions will be piloted from 12 July.

The program is a collaboration between Cornwall Council’s Echo Day Centre in Liskeard and the Trust’s Stroke and Neurological Community Team. It is due to begin with a 14-week course for a group of 15 patients with varying neurological conditions.

The program is aimed at adults with physical or cognitive neurological impairments who have a long-term rehabilitation goal and can engage in activities. The goals can be centred around self-management and maintenance of their condition, independence, or life skills.

The program will be delivered once a week by Echo support workers. It will be monitored by therapists from the Stroke and Neuro Community Rehab Team.

Through a range of activities, it aims for patients to obtain support and gain the skills required to be able to live more independently. While reducing carer requirement. By receiving this support, it is hoped there will also be a reduction in referrals to treatment time and the usage of NHS services by patients.

At present, people living with a long-term neurological condition face up to a 3-month wait from date of discharge to access specialist NHS community rehabilitation. They may only receive physiotherapy or occupational therapy once a fortnight or less. During this program, they will be able to access support more quickly, have support worker contact every week. This will aid rehabilitation, better support carers and for some people, even reduce long-term care needs.

“We are hoping to be able to support people with regaining their independence and confidence with managing their long-term conditions through improved access to support and facilities and increased intensity of input during the program. We are hoping that this will reduce social isolation which is a problem within Cornwall, provide respite for carers, and support people with accessing services amongst the voluntary sector following the project.” Angela Gibbon, Physiotherapist and Trainee Consultant Practitioner in Neurological Rehabilitation and Echo Partnership Developer

The Echo Centre currently provides services such as social contact, cognitive exercises, activities to improve gross motor skills and functional activities to several people with a range of neurological conditions.

“All our staff are really excited to try working in a more joined up way. It will bring together 2 highly motivated teams with different skills to benefit the patients. As well as being an opportunity to share available resources within Cornwall.

“Our patients are so enthusiastic about the project. They have helped us develop the ideas. Going forwards, we aim to support people to take more control of their own lives, improve their health and wellbeing, work towards building their self-esteem. As well as empowering them to become more engaged, confident, and active. This will enable them to reach their full potential.” Lorna Searle, Team Leader

Read Pilot launched to improve lives of people with neurological conditions…

We are delighted to announce that 2 of our projects have won this year’s Community Hospitals Association Innovation and Best Practice Awards.

Camborne Redruth Community Hospital’s wound management clinic and the Trust’s Parkinson’s Get It On Time project both scooped awards in recognition of their positive impact in their respective areas of work.

The Community Hospitals Association Innovations and Best Practice Awards Programme began in 2000 and celebrate the breadth of services and facilities that are offered in community hospitals across the country. 

The wound clinic provides a nurse-led service to patients in the north Kerrier area. The service has seen improved outcomes for patients in the management of wounds through a holistic model of care.

The Trust’s Kylie Lock is quality lead for west adult community and countywide specialist services, and integrated therapies. She comments: “I am really pleased to hear that both projects have received a Community Hospitals Association award for the work they have done.

“The Camborne Redruth Community Hospital wound management clinic is an excellent service. The clinic follows national guidance and supports all patients within the primary care network. Having visited the clinic last week to collate some patient feedback, it was clear that they have a positive experience of the service, and they speak so highly of the caring and friendly team.” 

The Get It On Time project has improved patient experience and reduced the impact of delayed medication for inpatients with Parkinson’s.

Kylie adds: “It has been great to be part of the project team and look at small changes we can make to improve the timeliness of Parkinson’s medication. With so much passion and enthusiasm in the team, we have seen such an improvement over the last few months. We are now looking at how we can share the success of this project with our partners at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.”

The wound management clinic comprises registered nurses, a registered nursing associate and healthcare assistants. They promote positive clinical practice through ongoing multi-disciplinary assessments, shared decision-making, intervention, and documentation. All of which must occur to facilitate optimal wound healing.

Sally Oxley is the project lead for the wound management clinic and is delighted that her team’s skills and dedication have been recognised.

She says: “I’m really pleased that the team’s hard work has been recognised and we have won the award. The wound management clinic sees more than 350 patients a week and supports them with management of complex leg ulcers and wounds.

“We provide a holistic approach to the management of wounds. It offers our patients the best clinical practice and an opportunity for social connections and peer support with other patients attending.

“We have a great supportive, inclusive team here and consistently embed a learning culture helping our staff to develop. I am proud of the team and the recognition we have received.” 

The Trust’s Get It On Time project also picked up an award for its commitment to reducing waiting times for medication. The aim of the project is to ensure Parkinson’s patients within the Trust’s inpatient settings receive their medication within 30 minutes of the planned time.

Lynne Osbourne is the project lead for the project, and says the award is just reward for all the hard work her team has put in since the campaign began in March 2021.

She says: “It has been great to take the national Get It On Time campaign and develop this locally within the Trust, by utilising quality improvement methodology.

“The success of this project has been supported by the increased engagement from our wards and medicines management link nurses, who have really driven this forward.

“Alongside the education and advice provided by our Parkinson’s Service, we have been fortunate to have Luke Huntley, Pharmacist, on the project team who provides the data each week and closely monitors this.

“Finding out we had won the award was a great boost for the project team and we look forward to celebrating and sharing this success with the inpatient wards, who have worked hard to achieve this.”

Kylie finished by praising the leadership of Sally and Lynne, saying: “They are both wonderful compassionate leaders, who want the best for their patients and are continually looking at ways to improve their service. It’s a pleasure to work with them and support with a quality improvement approach. Congratulations to both project teams on their success.”

Read We have won 2 innovation and best practice awards…

A special training day took place at the Eden Project recently, providing educational opportunities for clinicians managing the urgent health care needs of outpatients.

The day was hailed as a huge success by those who attended from various units across Cornwall.

The event was hosted by NB Medical, which provides continuing professional development training for GPs and healthcare professionals. The day covered a wide range of key areas in urgent care. It was seen as a positive step towards providing training opportunities for GPs and doctors in acute coronary syndrome. As well as minor injury teams, advanced nurse practitioners and physician associates.

“It was great to see so many medical and allied medical colleagues being offered such a fantastic training day. We need to continue to value and develop colleagues in these roles in our minor injury units, urgent treatment centre, community hospitals and MSK (physiotherapy).” Adrian Flynn, Chief Medical Officer

The day brought a number of people together from across various urgent care facilities in Camborne and Redruth. The event also included mental health and physical health. Colleagues from Bodmin, as well as practitioners from other parts of the county, were also in attendance.

Dr Janine Glazier, Associate Medical Director for Adult Community Services, was delighted to see so many people from different areas converge on Eden to talk about their roles within the Trust. She

“It was a really lovely opportunity to bring all the different people involved in urgent care together. It was also a good opportunity to network and look at what other people’s roles were. We had colleagues from a variety of different services from the urgent treatment centre. Health for Homeless were also there and colleagues managing the physical health needs on the mental health wards. I think everybody felt that the area that they specialise in was covered. From chest pain to drug overdose via some helpful tips on finger and hand conditions. It went down really well and we’ll definitely look to do it again next year.” Dr Janine Glazier

Dr Jerry Quill was one of those who attended. He felt there were many positives to take away from the day.

“It was very well set up at a beautiful location. More importantly I felt that the topics that were covered were very relevant to my practice. I thought that the delivery of it, bearing in mind there’s a lot to cover, they did a pretty good job. I felt coming away that I had upgraded my knowledge and skill set on the back of it. I’ve also referred to the very helpful book that we were all given which contains most, if not all that is relevant to me as a minor injuries GP essentially.

"Every day is a school day and you never stop learning on this job. The guidelines are being upgraded all the time and being revised. So sometimes it is difficult to keep track of all of them. That’s why these kinds of forums are so helpful in that sense. The discussions that were had were quite helpful too. People have slightly different backgrounds. Being able to see things from different perspectives is actually quite helpful as well. If this was on again, I would definitely go.”

Dr Ruth Barnes, who is deputy services lead at Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, felt the day provided the perfect opportunity to not only refresh her own skill set but also learn about other areas in urgent care.

“It was very much focussed on urgent care. NB Medical went through lots of good, relevant cases which were really helpful and really applicable to our nurses and doctors. It was also really nice to have some downtime with colleagues as well because we work in quite a pressurised environment. Being able to chat with others was really helpful and a good opportunity to meet people you only usually chat to on the phone. There were some topics I already knew about, which are my bread and butter. But there were other fascinating bits to learn about too. There’s always something to be learnt and even when you know something it’s nice to have a bit of a recap.”

Jenny Fayrs, Camborne Redruth Community Hospital Minor Injury Unit Team Lead also attended the training day at Eden. Jenny said she would encourage more people to attend the next training event.

“It was really relevant to everything we see in our units every day. It was good to have people in the room from units like this, from minor injury units, and advanced practitioners from GP surgeries. Without being solely focused on one area, it was really useful across all areas. It was really beneficial. If they were to hold another day like this again, I would definitely encourage more practitioners to go.”

Read Training day at Eden Project hailed a huge success…

Celebrations were held in Newquay on Friday 9 June to mark the launch of a new service following a successful pilot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 120 people from the health and care sector attended the launch hosted by the Trust. Attendees included NHS workers, expert teams from children’s services and specialist speakers from around the UK. They came together to share their knowledge of parent and infant mental health and how they can work together with the new service.

The event was also an opportunity for colleagues to share success stories, innovations, and developments in the parent-infant mental health field.

A recent study by the Infant-Parent Foundation of more than 1,000 mothers found that more than 1 in 10 women struggle to bond with their baby. Nearly three-quarters of women state that they received no advice on bonding with their baby after birth.

The Thriving Together service aims to support parent-infant mental health by strengthening the parent’s confidence. As well as their capacity to understand and enjoy their relationship with their baby or child. This is done by:

• treating existing mental health conditions and traumas
• assisting with bonding, feeding and emotional attachment
• supporting play-based therapy
• focussing on the parents’ existing positives within their infant-parent relationship

“I was very privileged to attend the event. It was inspiring to see colleagues across the county, and from Devon, coming together to learn and celebrate successes in the services we offer to families. We can do no better preventative work than helping to strengthen families in nurturing infants and children.” Margaret Schwarz, Non-Executive Director

Speakers at the launch event included acclaimed psychotherapist and trauma expert, Graham Music, Julian Bose from Dadpad, Dr Isabel Jimenez Acquarone from The Parent Infant Centre, Smita Hanciles from UNICEF, and Jo Davies, Chief Executive Officer of WILD. They also included local health visiting and perinatal and maternal mental health services.

“There are so many amazing services operating in Cornwall which we were keen to pull together at our conference. There is so much energy and passion in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to work in partnership to improve the outcomes for children in our collective care.

"We are determined to build on this and really keep momentum towards creating the best services and experience possible for our children and families."

David Pike, Head of Thriving Together and Specialist Parenting Services.

Thriving Together is one of just 45 specialised parent-infant relationship teams in the country. They work alongside perinatal mental health, community midwives, health visiting, the local council and mum, dad, and baby groups, such as Wild and Dad Pad.

The Parent-Infant Foundation states that every baby needs a stable start in life to develop physically and emotionally. Early relationships between babies and their parents are incredibly important for building healthy brains. The first 1,001 days of life, from conception to age 2, is a time of unique opportunity and vulnerability. It is a period of particularly rapid growth when the foundations for later development are laid.

Wendy Shallcross, a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, and Thriving Together Consultant, campaigned for a service for 20 years. Wendy realised that there was a gap in providing specialist mental health support for infants and their parents or carers. Her aim was to promote and better positive mental health, bonding and attachment.

“Thriving Together now means that there is now a pathway right the way through from conception to infancy and to 18 years of age with CAMHS in Cornwall. Our next step is to boost engagement with fathers and extend our support to helping them feel connected with their young children.” Wendy

To access the Thriving Together service, speak to your health support team, or visit Cornwall Council's Early Help Hub online.

Read New mental health service to aid parent-infant relationships launches…

The Trust has this week joined the celebrations which marked 75 years of the Windrush Generation.

On 22 June 1948, over 1,000 people arrived in the UK from the West Indies on board the MV Empire Windrush. Known as the ‘Windrush Generation’, they helped rebuild the nation following the Second World War, where families and descendants made immeasurable contributions to public services and the NHS.

Windrush Day aims to encourage communities across the country to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants. The Trust is proud to join communities across the country in recognising and honouring the enormous contribution of those who arrived at Tilbury Docks some 75 years ago.

Many of the passengers on board MV Empire Windrush took up roles in the NHS, which had launched just 2 weeks later.

It has not been an easy journey for the early black and minority ethnic colleagues in the NHS, and in British society. Faced with racism, discrimination and public outcry, they were not always welcome.

Today, ethnic minority colleagues make up almost a quarter of the NHS workforce and 42% of medical staff.

Dean Harvey says growing up in the UK in the 60s and 70s was tough for a mixed heritage boy of Jamaican and Irish ancestry raised in the care system.

But he, like many others, found his true belonging with the NHS, where he proudly continues to work today as an associate non-executive director (inclusion and diversity) for the Trust.

He says: “I was looking for something and where I found black and brown faces was in my local hospital. People that looked like me doing regular professional jobs and being respected as team members, colleagues, doctors and nurses. Strangers to role models in a young man’s heart. I wish I could thank them all personally now.

“They had such an influence on me, unknowingly giving me a sense of self value that I was missing at the time and increasing my sense of self, a sense of potential.;

“I feel so proud to know that people of Caribbean heritage, despite the often seemingly insurmountable struggles, ;are a deep part of the amazing cultural heritage of the NHS which is in turn part of the fabric of our society.”

As part of our plans for the NHS 75 birthday celebrations, the Trust is celebrating the same anniversary of Windrush and diversity of the NHS workforce. From the Windrush generation of 1948, the south Asian arrivals in the 1960s and 70s, to today’s workforce which currently represents over 200 nationalities.

Dean adds: “Today is a day of joy for so many reasons, Windrush 75 years, NHS 75 years. And for me currently honoured to be playing my small NHS part. Here in Cornwall today every meeting I have attended, my colleagues have raised this event with pride. Not my black colleagues or my white colleagues, just my colleagues.

“This is a day and time earnt for me and us by my forerunners and I feel very blessed to play my small part in the ongoing story of an amazing institution. My NHS, our NHS. I am part of the Windrush generations and the NHS family ongoing story.”

Read National Windrush Day 2023…

We are delighted to announce that a project which has been developed with the help of the Trust has been shortlisted for Learning Disabilities Initiative of the Year at this year’s Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards.

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit have joined forced with experts from our Trust. As well as others from University of Plymouth, SUDEP Action, and Epilepsy Action. Together, they have spearheaded a project which aims to reduce mortality in people with learning disabilities and epilepsy.

This programme aims to tackle the pressing issue of premature avoidable death amongst people with learning disabilities and autism living with epilepsy. The partnership worked closely with 11 integrated care systems across the Midlands. They supported them to mobilise partners in a whole-system approach to improvement.

The programme was inspired by the story of Clive Treacey. Clive had a learning disability and suffered from complex epilepsy. He spent much of his life moving between care providers and sadly died aged 47. In the resulting Clive Treacey Independent Review, a breadth of opportunities was identified for learning from Clive’s life. There were over 50 recommendations for system-wide improvement at a local, regional and national level.

Through the implementation of a tailored self-assessment tool and guided by lived experience and specialist expertise, NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit and partners helped systems establish a shared understanding of service delivery, workforce capacity, and capability, and generated evidence-based improvement plans. The programme works to support a reduction in avoidable deaths, health inequalities, and hospital admissions. It provides a framework for ongoing evaluation. A recent webinar explored the topic further.

“We, Clive’s entire family, have the privilege of carrying his love. Now a legacy, he would be so proud of within our hearts forever. We will forever be grateful and proud for the continuing dedication of so many who have supported and remain committed to Clive's way. We could never have imagined that Clive would help to galvanise a movement across all health and social care settings in the Midlands and beyond. To help create capable communities  keeping people with learning disabilities and epilepsy safe and living well”. Elaine Clarke, sister of Clive Treacey

Read Trust project shortlisted for HSJ Patient Safety Award…

Loneliness can affect anyone in a variety of ways, and for many speaking out about it remains a taboo subject. This week with the launch of Loneliness Awareness Week it is hoped more people will get talking about the subject.

This year, with the support of the Trust, the theme of Loneliness Awareness Week is connection. By connecting with people we feel happier and less lonely. It does not even have to be somebody we know. Whether it’s your regular coffee stop, the friendly dog on your walk, or the shopkeeper down the road, everyday moments of connection matter.

Dr Jeremy Sandbrook, Consultant Psychiatrist says, “Connecting with others is vital to us as humans, for our emotional wellbeing and therefore our mental health. Connecting with others is in fact the first of the NHS mental health 5 a day, or "5 steps to mental wellbeing". The others are "be physically active" "learn new skills" "give to others" and "pay attention to the present moment".

“Loneliness is a very big problem in our society. It is a particular problem in some parts of society. Such as rural communities and the elderly. We are living in a more connected world, but within this context communities have sometimes become less connected. We must do all we can to address this.

“There are many ways to link in with the people around you or reach out to those you are close to. There is a growing initiative in Cornwall called the Community Hub project led by Volunteer Cornwall and other community organisations. This aims to create places all over Cornwall where people can meet and link. Initiatives such as this are really valuable. Of course, online is a good place to stay connected and many of us do that. Digital poverty is an issue however, not everybody is connected or can afford to access the internet. There are initiatives ongoing to tackle this, which is vital to allow us all to make the most of the positive aspects that the Internet can bring.”

By getting more people talking about loneliness it is hoped that the stigma attached to the subject will be removed and we can start taking the correct measures towards addressing those negative, lonely thoughts and why they occur in the first place. There are different types of loneliness, from situational loneliness, where you might have moved to a new area and do not feel a connection in unfamiliar surroundings. To emotional loneliness, whether it be in a relationship or within your family. Loneliness can also be triggered by specific life events, such as bereavement or a relationship breakdown.

It is, however, worth remembering that loneliness is not an illness and it can be fixed. While it may feel overwhelming at the time loneliness will pass. Especially if you’re able to tell someone how you’re feeling. It’s about making that decision in the first place to start making connections, so that you can start living a happy life once again.

For some, loneliness can still have a bigger impact on their lives and while reaching out to friends and family can help, you may want to discuss the matter further with a health professional.

Read Loneliness Awareness Week…