Bodmin Community Hospital

An independent fire safety review of Bodmin Community Hospital has identified issues that mean planned maintenance work is to be brought forward, starting in the next few weeks.

The hospital is owned by G H Bodmin Limited and managed by Grosvenor Facilities Management. The Trust uses the site to provide NHS community and mental health services.

We have taken action to ensure the safety of patients and staff and will do all we can to minimise the disruption while the issues are fixed. Owing to the scale of the works, we have needed to move some services.

We have relocated beds from Harbour Ward and the Woodfield Stroke Unit to Willow Ward at Liskeard Community Hospital.

We have also had no choice but to pause admissions to Harvest Ward, our psychiatric intensive care unit. Harvest Ward is now acting as our acute admissions unit, temporarily replacing Fletcher Ward. The contact numbers for the wards remain unchanged.

We are most grateful to our staff who are working tirelessly to keep any disruption to a minimum and to keep patients, families or carers informed of any changes.

Minor injury units, or MIUs, treat a range of injuries that have happened in the last 14 days. Nurses, paramedics and healthcare assistants run our minor injury units.

We have 10 minor injury units spread across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. You do not need an appointment and can walk in

Check live waiting times and opening hours.

Remember your nearest unit may not be the quickest. If you need advice before you travel, visit NHS 111 online or call 111.

Call our mental health line for advice and support 24/7 on 0800 038 5300.

What can minor injury units treat?

Minor injury units can treat:

• sprains and strains
• minor breaks or fractures
• traumatic wound infections (not surgical wounds)
• minor burns and scalds
• head injuries (where the person has not been unconscious)
• insect and animal bites and stings
• minor eye injuries
• cuts, bruises and grazes

When your GP is closed, they can treat suspected infections. These include sore ears and throats.

Most minor injury units have access to x-ray.

Electro-convulsive therapy is provided from the hospital for the treatment of severe depression, usually when other treatments have not been effective.

Clinic times are Tuesdays and Fridays, 8am to 1pm. Call the clinic on 01208 834 250.

What is electro-convulsive therapy, and what is it used for?

Electro-convulsive therapy is often misunderstood and misrepresented. People who opt for this as a treatment often become advocates for its effectiveness. Over a 3-week to 6-week period you will receive between 6 and 12 treatments. It will sometimes be given once every couple of weeks or once a month to prevent a recurrence of symptoms.

Electro-convulsive therapy is given under general anaesthetic and treatment usually takes no more than 10 minutes. During treatment, a tiny amount of electric current is sent to the brain. This affects the entire brain and repeated treatments alter the brains chemical messages bringing them back to normal.

Our electro-convulsive therapy booklet 2019 [PDF] 655 KB tells you more about the treatment and what to expect. We have also developed an electro-convulsive therapy diary and workbook to support you through your treatment journey.

If you think you might benefit from this treatment, you will need to be referred by a consultant psychiatrist. Electro-convulsive therapy is available at this clinic to people from Devon and Cornwall.

The hospital has a charitable fund that is used to improve patient services.

The hospital is also generously supported by the League of Friends.

• Email the hospital's League of Friends
• Visit the Bodmin Hospital League of Friends website

Read the latest visiting guidelines.

Protected mealtimes

The wards have protected mealtimes between midday and 1pm and from 5pm to 6pm. However if you would like to help your relative to eat and drink you are welcome to stay on the ward.

The ward has 12 beds providing inpatient care for elderly patients and patients who require rehabilitation following surgery or illness.

The ward has use of a detox bed where patients who have alcohol addiction can come and stay during their recovery.

There is a dedicated space for patients nearing the end of their life which is a quiet area for them to be with their families. The ward provides care for amputee patients with individual therapy pathways which are tailored to the patient's personal needs and requirements.

Checklist of items to bring into hospital

• Toiletries.
• Change of clothes and footwear.
• Any current medicines.
• Glasses.
• Books or magazines.
• Mobile phone or tablet.
• No more than £10 in cash.

How to contact your relative

Patients can use their own mobile telephones or tablets while on the ward. We also have iPads available and are happy to support patients to make video calls using these. Please ask a staff member for details.

Call the ward on 01208 251 388. The ward also has a telephone which can be taken to your relative, the number to call is 01208 251 571.

Bowman is a psychiatric low secure unit with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery. It provides treatment and care for up to 12 men aged 18 and over.

Bowman provides a homely environment for men who can stay on the ward for up to 2 years. All patients have severe and long-term mental healthcare. They will often have been treated in units outside Cornwall and admission to Bowman brings them closer to home and their family and friends.

The ward has en-suite bedrooms and access to a gym, communal lounge and garden. Men are encouraged to take part in exercise, education and social activities.

Our focus is on providing treatment, therapy, and life skills to help prepare the men to live independently. To achieve this, we have strong links with the local community.

We are proud that some of our patients have enrolled on courses run by local colleges. Some have also gone on to further education or employment.

Bowman works very closely with Fettle House and Harvest Ward.

How to contact your relative

Call the ward on 01208 251 439 if you need to speak to someone.

Referrals

Referrals to the unit are usually made by a professional within the Psychiatric Service. The specialist nature of the unit means we cannot take self-referrals or referrals from GPs.

Bodmin Community Assessment and Treatment Unit has 22 beds. These provide hospital care for elderly patients and people who need rehabilitation after surgery or an illness.

The unit has a day case bed for when people do not need an overnight stay.

There is a dedicated space for patients nearing the end of their life, which is a quiet area for them to be with their families.

How to contact your relative

Patients can use their own mobile telephones or tablets while on the ward. We also have iPads available and are happy to support patients to make video calls using these. Please ask a staff member for details.

Call the unit on 01208 251 565. The ward also has a telephone which can be taken to your relative, the number to call is 01208 251 305.

Garner Ward is a specialist dementia ward. It treats and assesses people with organic mental health problems, for example dementia.

Memory problems can cause distress, anxiety or agitation. This can happen for a number of reasons. We work with our patients to understand what triggers this behaviour and what can be done to help alleviate them.

Our staff get to know their patients and their likes and dislikes. This helps to ensure they are supported effectively. Our aim is to help people return home or move to a care home. We start this work as soon as a patient is admitted, working with them and their family.

The ward has en-suite bedrooms, a family lounge, garden and sensory areas. We encourage patients to take part in therapeutic activities.

Read our pre-admission leaflet for carers or view our patient information pack.

Checklist of items to bring into hospital

• Toiletries.
• Change of clothes and footwear.
• Any current medicines.
• Glasses.
• Books or magazines.
• Mobile phone or tablet.
• No more than £10 in cash.

How to contact your relative

Patients can use their own mobile telephones or tablets while on the ward. We also have iPads available and are happy to support patients to make video calls using these. Please ask a staff member for details.

Call the ward on 01208 251 334.