7 April 2020

Twenty vulnerable mental health patients in Milton Keynes are being provided with food bank parcels to help them weather the Coronavirus pandemic.

Staff have also been registering many more patients who have severe and enduring mental health conditions and  physical health issues on the Government website for extra support with food.

The patients are being looked after by three CNWL Community Mental Health Services – the Assessment Outreach Team, the Recovery and Rehabilitation Team and the Early Intervention Team.

These are continuing to provide essential visits; some of these visits have been intensified during the pandemic and are delivering medication and ensuring frequent telephone contact to all patients. 

Clinics are also continue for depot injections and patients who attend the weekly Clozapine clinic are being invited to attend smaller clinics running during the week to support social distancing. 

But some patients are extremely vulnerable, these are housebound during the Coronavirus pandemic due to their underlying mental and physical health issues.

Physical health nurse Denise Miles said: “We’ve identified the most at risk and the most vulnerable and we are offering to shop once a week for those who are self-isolating because of their risk factors and we are also supporting them with food bank parcels from the Milton Keynes Food Bank however this list will change daily as patients are reviewed to include those  who are self isolating due to experiencing  COVID 19 symptoms.

“Staff have also brought in food from some of their own stocks and we are keeping this for emergency use.

"Most of our patients are quite housebound and are quite anxious and we’ve put together a letter for all our clients providing them with the government advice and guidance on social distancing and handwashing and what to do in the event of symptoms, giving reassurance the service is running and confirming contact numbers. 

“We are keeping everyone calm and reassured and advising them not to be worried if they see our staff in PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) as this is as much for their safety as for ours.”