Shannon Ward is a 12 bed female psychiatric intensive Care Unit (PICU) located in St Charles Hospital which provides high quality, psychiatric intensive care in a safe, comfortable, stimulating, friendly and secure environment for female patients who are experiencing an acute period of mental illness and are detained under the Mental Health Act.
We accept urgent admissions from across the country on a spot purchase basis where there is availability and aim to respond to all referrals within an hour of receipt of adequate clinical information.
Referrers and carers can be assured that any patients referred to the service remain onsite within Central London. We have a multi-disciplinary team of specialists who work in partnership with local services/referrers to deliver short-term and long-term treatment plans.
Before admission, patients will be assessed by experienced Shannon Ward clinicians from Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust who will conduct a comprehensive mental health and medical assessment with a risk management plan. If the patient arrives on the ward during the out-of-hours period, they are seen the next morning by the medical team.
What happens before an assessment appointment?
Once we receive a referral, we check to see that we have all appropriate clinical information. If not, we will contact the referrer for further information and will engage with them to organise patient transfer.
What happens after the assessment appointment?
If there are no issues identified at referral stage, we admit patients to Shannon Ward and work with them to devise a patient centred treatment plan. We encourage the patient to be as involved in care plan development as they are able.
The treatment we provide is patient centred, multidisciplinary, intensive, and comprehensive. It consists of short-term, rapid interventions to avert crisis, help people regain a sense of control and move on to the least restrictive setting possible. We offer a range of specialist interventions depending upon patient need including:
- Occupational therapy with seven days a week activities
- Art therapy, music therapy and dance therapy
- Psychological therapies and talking therapies group
- Advocacy services
- Chaplaincy services
- Tai Chi.
Our consultants conduct daily ward rounds and actively discuss how best to treat patients’ cases as part of a multi-disciplinary team which includes a consultant psychiatrist, consultant pharmacist, nursing and therapy team which works with the patient to ensure treatment leads to discharge within an average of 28 days.
What happens at the end of treatment?
Our multi-disciplinary team works with the patient to ensure treatment leads to discharge to the least restrictive setting as soon as possible.
Facilities
- Internet access
- On-the-ward Gym
- Garden, therapies room
- Access to a multi-faith room
- 12 Single bedrooms (en-suite)
- Access to a family visiting room
- TV lounge, dining area, activity room
- High specification seclusion room
- Activity of daily living kitchen for patients’ use.
Pricing
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust offer access to Shannon Ward PICU services on a spot purchase basis where we have availability. We require a funding agreement to be agreed with referrers prior to admission.
Our beds are competitively priced and we aim to respond to a telephone request for an admission within an hour of receiving the call. Please get in touch with the team (contact details on the right of the page) if you are interested or would like further information.
The daily rate includes the cost of all professional staff including doctors, nurses and therapy team, inpatient admission and all meals and therapies used in the delivery of the service.
Daily Inpatient Rate
Competitively priced per occupied bed day.
Special Nursing Fees (close observation, escort staff)
Where close observation is required, we charge hourly for standard hours on weekdays and weekends.
Additional charges
The following costs are not included in the above rates and are subject to additional charges to be agreed at time of referral:
- Equipment or supplies: Bespoke sleep systems, wheelchairs, seating systems and other orthotic supplies
- Escort leave: Cost of supplying escort staff (including taxi/ambulance charges and booking and admin fees) for accompanied visits
- Discharge transfer: Cost of supplying escort staff (including taxi/ambulance charges and booking and admin fees) for discharging patients.
Each referrer will receive an itemised invoice for any additional services offered.