St George’s Hospital Directory of Services

ASSIST Trauma Care is a specialist Third Sector (Not-for-Profit) Organisation offering therapeutic help to adults and children, individuals and families, affected by a wide range of traumatic occurrences.

Based at a central clinic in Rugby in the Midlands, ASSIST therapists have been trained to use evidence-based models to help sufferers rebuild their lives and move on, following a traumatic experience that has impacted them. They also have specialist Outreach Therapists located across England and Wales, who may be able to provide more local help. ASSIST therapists work with both the symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and also with Traumatic Bereavement and Grief.

Occasionally grants are available to support the cost of referral. Where this is not the case funding needs to be agreed by Primary Care Trust Commissioners.

When a patient experiences a major trauma it is not just they who are affected. The patient’s whole support network has to cope with stresses and challenges that come with lengthy hospital stays and rehabilitation.

Care for the Family is a national family-run charity which aims to promote strong family life and to help those who face family difficulties. For over 25 years, they have provided parenting, relationship and bereavement support through their events, resources, courses, training and volunteer networks.

Centre 70 supports adults who are facing social, mental, financial or other personal difficulties through a holistic programme of free and affordable services including: Advice, Counselling, Training and Advocacy. They support the local community at a centre in West Norwood, as well as a range of outreach locations in Lambeth and other London boroughs.

Surrey County Council and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups have commissioned three local organisations to provide emotional and wellbeing support services in local communities around Surrey. These organisations are Mary Frances Trust, The Welcome Project and Richmond Fellowship. Contact details for each organisation is available on the Community Connection Surrey website.

These organisations offer first class mental health services by way of one to one support, support groups and activities. The Community Connection Surrey services can be accessed by anyone over 16 who wants to receive support for their emotional wellbeing. The service accepts self referrals, GP referrals and referrals from Mental Health professionals, e.g. Community Mental Health Recovery Services (CMHRS).

CornerHouse supports people aged 18+ who are dealing with a wide range of mental health issues by supporting independence and promoting recovery.

Their aim is to support people to improve their mental health and empower them to make wellbeing choices. They run regular mindfulness sessions, a Young Persons Group (age 18-25) and a Walking for Health walk. They help people in Woking, Runnymede and Spelthorne. The Woking Safe Haven is available out of hours for crisis support.

Grief is a natural process, but it can be devastating. Cruse Bereavement Care is a leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

They offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies, and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people. Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email, local services, and a website (www.hopeagain.org.uk) specifically for children and young people. The services are provided by a network of 5,000 trained volunteers and are confidential and free.

Many trauma patients can start to feel sad, depressed or anxious about life after they leave hospital. Your GP may prescribe you a course of talking based thereapy to help you, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Often these services are provided face to face, but they are now also available over the internet or telephone. For some areas, the NHS have set up services with private companies to provde these services to patients on behalf of the NHS. In most circumstances, you don’t need to visit your GP to access them.

IESO Digital Health provides evidence-based mental health therapy online on behalf of the NHS to patients in most areas of England.

They can offer you a discreet one-to-one therapy session delivered in real time using written (typed) conversation, with patients meeting an accredited therapist in a secure virtual therapy room, at a time and location that is both convenient and comfortable for you. Therapy delivered using the IESO system has been clinically validated within the NHS to deliver excellent clinical outcomes with high levels of patient engagement.

Richmond Wellbeing Services provides free and confidential talking therapies and specialist support to make people feel better. As long as you have a GP within the Borough of Richmond you can self refer or be referred via a GP.

There are many types of problems they help with, including low mood, stress, anxiety, panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder and living with long term health conditions. Support is given by one on one support and group seminar and courses.

A road death is not a normal death, it is sudden, violent, unexpected and premature. Losing a loved one in a crash is devastating. Lives are shattered, and some never recover from the trauma. Family breakdown, job loss, depression and even suicide can be the unfortunate consequences of losing a loved one in this way.

RoadPeace has been campaigning since 1992 to change this, and is a leading charity working for people bereaved and injured on the roads. They provide emotional and practical support and advocacy.

RoadPeace operates a national helpline that provides support and information to those affected by road death and injury. They also work closely with other support organisations, and can refer people onto other sources of specialist support and information.

Their website offers detailed information guides and briefing sheets that you can access for free.

Thinkaction is a team of friendly, professional mental health practitioners and counsellors based all over Kent, Medway, Surrey and the London Borough of Merton, offering a wide range of effective treatments and talking therapies that will support you to understand and manage your mental health problem, so you can start to live a full and positive life again.

Thinkaction treats patients over the age of 18, with common mental health issues. All their treatments are free and confidential. They offer therapy groups, practical workshops, one-to-one counselling, telephone support, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and online therapy.

Thinkaction also provides help and support to families and carers with a friend or a loved one who is suffering from a mental health problem. They understand this can have a significant impact on relationships and the quality of life of everyone involved. They are here to help family and friends cope and offer ways in which they can support their loved one towards a speedy recovery.

Everyone reacts differently to experiencing crime. How you react depends on lots of different things — such as the crime itself, the sort of person you are, and the support you have around you.

Victim Support is an independent charity. They help whether or not the crime is reported to the police and their support is free, confidential and tailored to the person’s individual needs. It doesn’t matter when the crime took place – they offer support at any time, and for however long you need it.

Victim Support helps anyone affected by crime, not only those who experience it directly, but also their friends, family and any other people involved. The specially trained staff and volunteers are based locally across England and Wales, and give people the emotional and practical help they need to recover from the impact of crime.

Work Stress Solutions is a charity based in Epsom, Surrey which offers employment and pre-employment assistance, and a range of stress-reduction and assertiveness courses to anyone over the age of 16 who need support with their lives.

Their aim is to enable clients to experience a sense of personal achievement in a supportive environment that focuses on self-fulfilment. They run classes on Building Confidence & Assertiveness, Mindfulness, Creative Writing and IT. These are all aimed at enriching people’s lives, supporting them to achieve balance and take steps towards employment, voluntary work or education.