A specialist neuropsychiatric service offering person-centred, evidencebased care and treatment for individuals with degenerative neuropsychiatric conditions, complex neurological disorders, and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).
St Peter’s Hospital is a specialist neuropsychiatric service providing expert multidisciplinary assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for adults with a wide range of degenerative neuropsychiatric conditions, complex neurological disorders, and Acquired Brain Injury.
Located in Newport, South Wales, St Peter’s Hospital provides dedicated single gender units and provides specialist treatment and nursing care that focuses on delivering positive outcomes for our patients, their families and our commissioners.
Part of the established Iris Care Group, St Peter’s Hospital opened in 2013 to provide assessment and treatment for adults with complex neurological conditions across 6 core patient groups:
• Dementia
• Huntington’s Disease
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Korsakoff’s Syndrome
• Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI)
• Organic Personality Disorders
We offer treatment to informal patients, individuals detained under the Mental Health Act, and to those undergoing treatment under the Mental Capacity Act.
Our hospital also meets the needs of patients subject to Ministry of Justice restriction orders, and our multidisciplinary team is experienced in supporting individuals with forensic backgrounds.
Our bespoke, person-centred model of care has been designed by our highly specialised multidisciplinary team and focuses on the treatment of neurological conditions and associated psychiatric disorder to optimise quality of life.
Monitoring, prevention, and treatment of medical and physical health conditions supported by local primary and secondary care services
Specialist nutritional assessment, management, and tailored dietetics support
Expert services offering comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and medication management for complex neuropsychiatric conditions
Evidence-based and psychologically-informed assessment, formulation, and therapeutic
Individualised therapeutic support to improve functional independence, daily living skills, cognitive rehabilitation and activities programmes
Comprehensive, person-centred physiotherapy assessment and interventions to support mobility, function, and recovery
Assessment and specialist support for difficulties with communication, speech and language, swallowing, eating, and drinking
Our evidence-based treatment and care pathways are designed to empower individuals living with complex neurological conditions to achieve meaningful, person-centred outcomes.
We work collaboratively with patients, their relatives, and commissioners to ensure that treatment and care is dignified, compassionate, and adaptive to meet each patient’s unique needs.
At St Peter’s Hospital we offer four dedicated neuropsychiatric care pathways:
• Assessment and Treatment Pathway (up to 16 weeks)
• Treatment and Wellbeing Pathway
1
Assessment and Treatment Pathway (up to 16 Weeks)
Our Assessment and Treatment Pathway provides individuals presenting in crisis with rapid access to a safe, bespoke environment where they will receive a comprehensive assessment by our specialist multidisciplinary team.
This pathway focuses on reducing psychological and emotional distress, treating mental and/ or physical illness and formulating a person-centred care and treatment plan over a 16-week period.
This initial period ensures that we understand each patient’s unique needs to inform their longer-term treatment and future rehabilitation, discharge and transition plans, and includes:
• A comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment to develop a tailored, patientcentred treatment plan
• Medication review and optimisation
• Physical health assessment and treatment
• Psychological formulation and baseline therapeutic assessments
• Multifactorial assessment of triggers for behaviours of concern / challenge
• Development of rehabilitation programme
• Development of positive behavioural management plans
• Initial draft of discharge and transition plans
• Discharge and Transition Pathway
• Specialist End of Life Pathway
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Treatment and Wellbeing Pathway
For those who require a longer period of specialist care, treatment and rehabilitation within a hospital setting, our Treatment and Wellbeing Pathway focuses on formulating and evolving an individualised care plan that provides patients with enhanced support that responds to risks, and maximises their quality of life.
Treatment and rehabilitation interventions are delivered by our in-house specialists to meet the specific neuropsychiatric and physical health needs of each patient, spanning a diverse range or specialisms including:
• Neuropsychiatry
• Psychology
• Physical health management
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Dietetics
• Physiotherapy
Discharge and Transition Pathway
Specialist End of Life Pathway 3 4
Our teams work collaboratively with commissioners, external teams, and families to develop comprehensive and individualised discharge and transition plans, which begin development as soon as possible following admission.
These plans are designed to enable our teams to provide effective and evidence-based treatment interventions to achieve pre-agreed outcomes, with the goal of moving people out of hospital in a timely manner.
During the discharge process, we work closely with the individual’s families and staff teams to ensure a seamless transition from St Peter’s Hospital – whether that be back to their homes, or to another service or placement.
Our team will also provide additional support for a successful onward placement or transition, including developing new care and treatment plans and providing bespoke training for family members and providers outside of St Peter’s Hospital.
We have developed a Specialist End of Life pathway in partnership with local palliative care teams, providing dignified, person-centred, and compassionate palliative care services for those who are unable to transition to a nursing home or a hospice setting.
For a small number of our patients, their behaviour may remain challenging as they enter the terminal stages of their illness. Our teams work closely with the individual’s GP practice, families and loved ones, and commissioners and to ensure that capacity and best interest decisions are made, and that the individual is as comfortable and pain free as possible.
This pathway includes emotional, spiritual, and psychological support, pain and symptom management, and additional specialist multidisciplinary support.
Operating within a bespoke dementia-friendly environment, our expert multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to meet the mental and physical health needs of our patients, at every stage of their illness.
Our team delivers high-quality assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation that focuses on maintaining respect, dignity, and personhood.
St Peter’s Hospital multidisciplinary team:
Consultant Neuropsychiatrists and Psychiatrists
Consultant Neuropsychologists, Clinical Psychologists, and Assistant Psychologists
Registered Mental Health Nurses and Registered General Nurses
Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists
Speech and Language Therapists
Dieticians
Support Workers
Social Workers
Working in partnership with our commissioners, we aim for positive clinical outcomes and a progression in a patient’s care pathway towards less restriction and greater independence.
We are committed to reducing the use of antipsychotic medication, wherever possible, and use evidence-based nonpharmacological interventionsincluding reminiscence therapy, pet therapy, music therapy, sensory therapies, and relaxation and exercise therapies.
Our patients are also offered access in the community as well as on-site clinics from:
General Practitioners, Chiropodists, Dentists, Opticians and Independent Mental Health & Capacity Advocates.
He has been particularly challenging both mentally and physically over the years. The care that he has received has been first class, and staff at St Peters have dealt with all these challenges with outstanding care and dignity.
Family Member
Designed with patient safety in mind, St Peter’s Hospital incorporates industry-leading dementia and ABI friendly features directly into the environment to create a therapeutic, dignified, and empowering environment for every patient.
Our hospital has a dedicated therapy and activities wing where patients can access a:
• Physical Therapy Room
• Hair Salon & Nail Bar
• Occupational Therapy Kitchen
• Sensory & Relaxation Room
Our semi-rural location and fleet of specialist adapted vehicles also enables our patients to engage in a range of community-based therapeutic and leisure activities.
We enable patients to access facilities, events and resources in the community to facilitate their rehabilitation.
We actively encourage the involvement of family through on-site visits and home visits (where appropriate), and support our patients to engage with their families and social connections in community settings, such as local cafes and garden centres.
• Reminiscence Room
• IT Suite
• Landscaped garden
I would give you all medals for what you are doing. You all have a way of welcoming me on my visits which I always look forward to. I always feel a part of your family and thank you for that.
Referred to us after being detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act, Colin, 53, presented with increasing agitation and aggression during his admission to an acute psychiatric ward - resulting in a number of serious assaults on staff members which led to his transfer to a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).
There, Colin was commenced on an antipsychotic before being transferred back to an acute psychiatric ward. He remained agitated and aggressive, which saw him having to be nursed on continuous 2:1 levels of observation and meant he had to be segregated from the rest of the patients due to a high risk of violence towards others.
Whilst on the acute unit, Colin rarely engaged with therapeutic activities and was not able to safely access the rest of the community. Colin’s condition was further complicated by him requiring ileostomy care.
to 16 Weeks) 1
*Patient’s name changed to protect identity
Following his transfer to St Peter’s Hospital, Colin underwent a comprehensive assessment with our multidisciplinary team who confirmed a diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia. His clinical needs were clearly identified and he was assessed as being in need of treatment for emotional dysregulation, disinhibition, and difficulties with speech and swallowing.
Using a neurobehavioural approach, together with optimisation of Colin’s psychotropic medication, we achieved a number of positive outcomes during Colin’s time on our 16-week Assessment and Treatment Pathway.
The outcomes for Colin, his family and commissioners;
• A significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of Colin’s physical violence and agitation:
- 99 incidents in the first 4 weeks of his 16 week admission > 4 incidents in the last 4 weeks
• A reduction in Colin’s level of observation:
- 2:1 levels of staffing > 1:1 levels of staffing (1 staff member was deemed appropriate due to Colin’s physical ill health, which included difficulties with his speech and mobility)
• Colin’s improved mental state allowed him to be actively involved in decisions regarding his treatment:
- Colin was able to consent to his treatment with an anti-depressant and sign his CO2 form
• Colin engaged in a programme of activities which included community access when accompanied by 2 members of the team:
- Colin was able to take regular walks in the community - something he’d enjoyed in the past
• Colin could be successfully managed within a general ward setting at St Peter’s Hospital
• Colin’s level of independence improved with the use of a bespoke communication book designed by our speech and language therapists
Colin ultimately returned home to live with his wife, supported by a carefully planned transition outlined by our team and coupled with a long-term care package that was built upon behaviour management guidelines formulated at St Peter’s Hospital.
• Treatment of degenerative neurological conditions
• Treatment of mental illness with behaviours that challenge
• Risk assessment and management
• Occupational and Physio therapies
• Speech and language therapy
• Specialist nutritional assessments and managements
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Mobility programmes
• Reacquisition of daily living skills
• Assessment and management of executive dysfunction
• Assessment and management of complex physical health issues
At St Peter’s Hospital we are able to support adults presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms from a broad range of complex neurological conditions, including:
• Dementia
• Huntington’s Disease
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Korsakoff’s Syndrome
• Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI)
• Organic Personality Disorders
For planned referrals and admissions, we offer an initial assessment within a 48-hour period.
We also accept emergency placements and crisis admissions, subject to clinical discussions.
Please contact our Referral Team on 03300 567 888 or email referrals@iriscaregroup.co.uk
Assessments are undertaken free of charge.
I just wish to say a massive thank you to all of you, who work tirelessly to help my brother and his family, and make our lives easier, knowing he is in the best hands.
Family Member
You’ve got to keep an eye on him because he’s still got that little wobble... maybe he’ll always have that little wobble... but, honestly, you’ve given him back to me.
Wife of a former patient
info@iriscaregroup.co.uk www.iriscaregroup.co.uk
St Peter’s Hospital Chepstow Road, Langstone, Newport NP18 2AA
Tel: 01633 401 300
Iris Care Group Unit 1, Castleton Court, St Mellons Business Park, Cardiff CF3 0LT
Tel: 03300 567 888