The visit was aimed at helping those impacted by the war with Russia. The delegation toured facilities in Plaistow and met East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) bosses at their HQ in Aldgate. The first stop was the Newham Child Mental Health service in Barking Road to study how children’s needs are looked after.
Discussions included healthcare responsibilities and learning about a tiered approach such as intervention and the referral process. The foundation trust was keen to explain how it collaborates with other NHS agencies and voluntary organisations and how it works with local authorities for referrals to work out individual care plans. The delegation also visited the foundation trust’s headquarters in Aldgate to meet senior officials to get a fuller picture of NHS mental health services and what measures could be adopted back in the war zone.
“The foundation trust have given us a lot to think about,” Ukraine’s health minister Oksana Zbitneva said afterwards. “We thank them for their support as we navigate our own mental health journeys in Ukraine.” The delegation also included project director Iryna Mykychak from Ukraine’s mental health coordination centre and mental health consultant Oleg Shults from the World Health Organization.
The fact-finding tour follows a visit to the foundation trust earlier this year by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, who was shown round the Coborn Centre for Adolescent Mental Health at Newham Hospital. NHS consulta.