The service, on Clifton Lane, was visited by Nottingham South Labour MP Lilian Greenwood who toured the facility and spoke to staff and service users during her visit to find out more about the treatment offered on site and what a typical recovery journey looks like for the men benefiting from the service.
Following the visit, Lilian said: “I had a great afternoon visiting this important facility that provides support for men who are struggling with their mental health.
“I was very grateful to have been invited along to have a look around the hospital and meet with both staff and the men who are being treated at the service. I am pleased to have such a vital specialist service in my constituency.
“I would like to thank the staff who took the time to speak with me. They are clearly passionate about the work they do and providing high quality care for their service users.
“I look forward to keeping in touch with staff and service users at Cygnet Clifton to hear more about exciting plans for the future.”
Lilian spent time with the Hospital Manager, Katie Casement and Clinical Manager, Amy Dawson, hearing about how Cygnet Hospital Clifton supports its patients to access the local community and how it works collaboratively with external providers.
The hospital is set out across two wards; Ancaria Ward is the admissions/ initial treatment ward, which offers a defined pathway through to Acorn Ward, which has a focus on rehabilitation, in preparation for moving on into the community or supported living.
During her tour, Lilian met service user Norman who organised a charity event to raise money for Cancer Research UK and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). Norman spent many hours creating ‘diamond art’ coasters and keyrings to sell to other service users and staff, and raised over £100 for both charities.
Katie explained: “It was a fantastic visit, Lillian was keen to meet the service users and staff and had a tour of the hospital meeting service users on Acorn and Ancaria ward.
“Norman was so proud to show Lillian the crafts he had been making. It means a lot to everyone at the hospital to showcase the care we deliver and how we strive to make a positive difference to the lives of those entrusted to us.
“Lilian seemed really keen to keep in touch with us and she gave such positive feedback about what she saw.
“We take a huge amount of pride in the work we do and the support we give to our service users. Being able to share that work with our MP was a great experience.”