• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

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North East NHS Trust embarks on international partnership on mental health service provision

A North East NHS mental health Trust has launched a collaborative partnership with one of India’s largest providers of mental health services.

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) which provides mental health and disability services across the North East, will be working as a ‘Knowledge Partner’ with Cadabams Group based in Bangalore to provide mutual support, expertise and training.

The partnership offers both organisations the opportunity to share expertise in the delivery of mental health care to different populations.

John Lawlor, Chief Executive of NTW and Sandesh Ramesh Cadabam, Director of Cadabams Group, signed a memorandum of understanding at St Nicholas Hospital in Newcastle to formally launch the collaboration.

As part of the partnership NTW will provide support for Cadabams to develop new ways of working within areas including addictions, smart prescribing, school mental health, community and home-based care.

John Lawlor, NTW’s Chief Executive said: “Our Trust is excited to be working with the Cadabams Group. Our partnership is based on shared values including the importance of compassionate care as well as embracing innovation, and I am looking forward to seeing how it develops and how we can learn from each other.

“I am particularly pleased that this collaboration will support the delivery of mental health and disability services to some of the most vulnerable individuals in the regions of India that Cadabams serves.”

Based in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in Karnataka state, Cadabams group has over 20 years of experience in providing mental health and disability care and rehabilitation services for service users from across India.

The group’s facilities include seven separate inpatient centres which provide holistic care and treatment for conditions including drug and alcohol addiction, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and depression.

Sandesh Ramesh Cadabam, Director of Cadabams Group, said: “This collaboration will support us in progressing towards standardising our current services and developing new ones along the model of comprehensive care pathways which NTW excels at.

“I am excited that an association with such an outstanding NHS organisation will bring a quantum leap in the quality and accessibility of mental health and learning disability services across India, as well as providing a huge opportunity for us to mutually learn from each other.”

While NTW will not be directly involved in clinical care, the Trust will support the Cadabams Group on the development of new services and also work on monitoring and reporting systems, so that both organisations can effectively evaluate the benefits of working together.

NTW and Cadabams will also investigate possible opportunities for future joint ventures on developing services via a joint task force with senior representatives from both organisations.

The announcement comes after senior representatives from Cadabams visited a range of NTW’s facilities across the North East in early February 2019, including its Initial Response Service in Sunderland, children’s services at Ferndene, neurorehabilitation and neuropsychiatric facilities at Walkergate Park Hospital and addictions service based at Plummer Court in central Newcastle.

The organisations were introduced to each other by the British High Commission, which supported the collaboration process throughout its development.