18/07/2025
“I had lost my life, I was living out of bags and lost all my documentation. The Citizens Advice worker came along and she helped me get a new bank card, get a new passport and also helped get me back into the community."
The words of Darryl, who needed care at Melbury Lodge Hospital in Wi******er, and was supported by our partnership with Citizen's Advice.
The groundbreaking initiative addresses the root causes of mental health crisis by providing practical support and guidance to patients who experience problems with a range of issues like money, housing, employment and relationships. By tackling these challenges alongside specialist mental health care, the Trust has been able to prevent hospital readmissions, helping patients stabilise their lives and return home to their loved ones with confidence.
A recent evaluation to examine the initiative's effectiveness found that 96% of patients had identified social stressors, such as money, debt or housing were having an impact on their mental health, including 91% who needed support with money, reflecting well-known links between money and mental health. The evaluation went on to show that for every £1 the initiative spent, it delivered a return on investment of £14, generated through shorter inpatient stays, fewer readmissions, reduced medication, and better engagement with community services. This meant that for the 50 patients included in the study, it saved the NHS £244,850 in just nine months.
Learn more here 👉 https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/about-us/news-and-views/nhs-and-citizens-advice-partnership-transforming-mental-health-care
