Cotswold House is based at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough and is a 12-bed inpatient unit for adults with eating disorders.
The multi-disciplinary team aims to support patients and their loved ones in the journey from hospital admission to discharge, in recovering from an eating disorder or achieving stabilisation, which can often take several months.
One service user said: “I have experienced the best support at Cotswold House from staff and everybody involved in my care, not only myself but also my close family.”
The service provides holistic, patient-centred care, from a range of practitioners including nurses, nurse associates, support workers, psychologists, family therapist, a dietician, and psychiatrist.
Another patient was overjoyed with the care they received, and said: “Really incredible service, the staff are incredibly kind and compassionate, and I feel lucky to have been given the chance to come here as a patient.”
The daily running of the ward involves supporting meals and rest times, providing groups based around a variety of therapeutic and educational topics, and liaison with family and friends, along with pamper sessions, community meetings and gardening.
Alongside this, the team provide assessment and admission from a wide-ranging geographical area and have strong links with the Wiltshire Community Eating Disorder Service.
Another patient said: “The team here is exceptional. Individually they are each a credit to themselves and to their profession. As a team they are kind, compassionate, understanding and patient. The programme at Cotswold house has been well designed and it is particularly impressive that they have maintained this, including occupational therapy activities, despite the limitations of Covid.”
Vicky Bradley, ward manager, said: “I am so proud and in awe of the hard work the team have put in since everything turned upside down in March 2020. While staff have been navigating lockdowns, isolation and home-schooling they have continued to go the extra mile for our patients at a time when it is more needed than ever. Our staff are so supportive of each other and life with Covid would have been a lot tougher without them.”
Finally, one reviewer said: “The care at Cotswold House is exemplary. The staff are a strong team and are professional and compassionate.”
Find out more about our Cotswold House here.
Published: 3 March 2021