A Service User’s Journey to Redesigning Mental Health Assessment Spaces in the Emergency Department

Synopsis

Patients with mental health disorders could find themselves in the emergency department in their most vulnerable state. However, CQC research has identified that these patients have a poorer perceived experience than other patient groups.

Increasingly, the physical needs for patients with mental health disorder in the emergency pathway have been addressed and dedicated places of safety are provided in the department. However, what have we put in place to safeguard a patient’s psychological well-being in these environments?

As an architect and a service user, I would like to share personal experience of using these spaces in the emergency departments and the subsequent design project I undertook to redesign a mental health patient assessment room. This research project included testimonies from service users, families and ward staff.

This talk will highlight the benefits of broad collaboration, the importance of a strong relationship with stakeholders and securing post-occupancy feedback. It reflects on the rewards and difficulties of applying a Grounded Theory research methodology as opposed to a conventional building process.