Latest news with #DerbyshireHealthcareNHSFoundationTrust
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Derbyshire nurse's autism diagnosis aged 50 was a 'huge relief'
"Hearing those words was a huge relief in many ways," says Graham Spencer, a psychiatric research was 50 when he was diagnosed with autism but he suspected he was neurodivergent for many years beforehand, so it came as "no great surprise" when he was 53, Graham said he found social situations difficult as a young man but also had a deep passion for things he was interested in."I'm the same person but I am happier. You get comfortable in your own skin as you get older... we're all on a voyage of self-discovery," he told the BBC. Speaking after Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Graham said he could relate to Chelsea and England full-back Lucy Bronze, who recently spoke for the first time about her own diagnosis in who is a clinical lead at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and works at Royal Derby Hospital, said his work in mental health has helped him, like Lucy who said her condition helps her as an elite his own journey, Graham said: "Something was different... slightly different in the way you think than people around you and perhaps when I was younger that was an uncomfortable feeling."The diagnosis has been incredibly helpful in understanding how you think. Happiness in life is the relationship with your own mind." 'Clarity' Graham explained that he noticed he had repetitive behaviours and "likes a routine". He would "get a little bit stressed" if his routine was changed at the last minute."People have methodical minds, they are pattern seekers and system thinkers," he knowing he was different, Graham said he is glad his diagnosis came later in life."It is clarity. What we know about autism is expanding all of the time... the timing [of my diagnosis] came at the perfect time."As a young man, I don't think my mind would have processed the information as regularly as I have done now. "I don't think I'd have been ready for it many years ago." What is autism? People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience core difficulties which are common across the spectrum. These may include:Difficulty interpreting the behaviour and intentions of other peopleIntense interestsA tendency for compulsive or repetitive behavioursFinding relationships challengingFinding changes to routines difficultHaving trouble describing emotionsHaving difficulty with back-and-forth conversation.
BBC News
16-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Two new mental health units to welcome patients
Two new, purpose built, mental health facilities in Derbyshire are set to open later this 54 bed units at Derby and Chesterfield are part of a £150m investment by the NHS designed to improve privacy, dignity and safety for well as ending dormitory-style accommodation, patients will be given more control over their surroundings, like heating, lighting and entertainment, in a move aimed at reducing anxiety and unit will also have a shared therapy suite and kitchen, indoor fitness room, online library resource room, arts room and access to a secured roof terrace. The Carsington and Derwent units, in Derby and Chesterfield, are part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's £150m Making Room for Dignity is designed to replace outdated facilities and bring the area's six main mental health hubs up to national standards. Additionally Derbyshire will have its first psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) which should largely avoid patients being sent hundreds of miles away for specialist NHS said giving people their own room was "incredibly important" as dormitories meant sharing a bay with strangers which often leads to anxiety and stress. Rosie, 24 , a former mental health patient who is currently training to be a mental health nurse at the University of Derby University, is impressed with the new said: "They are going to benefit future patients a lot because staff are going to be able to support them in a better way at a vulnerable time. "A lot of people suffer with sensory issues and can quickly feel overwhelmed but this is a more calming environment." The trust's chief executive officer, Mark Powell, said: "Having these new facilities will aid recovery and keep people in hospital for a shorter amounts of time is a real game changer for us in Derbyshire. "Yes, demand is growing but our teams are doing a fantastic job of managing that demand both at inpatient settings and in the community."Other parts of the project involve Bluebell Ward at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield for older adults with acute mental health needs, which opened on 7 January 2025, the Radbourne Unit, at the Royal Derby Hospital which will be refurbished creating single rooms, and Audrey House, an enhanced care unit for female patients at Kingsway in Derby.
