Psychology Services

Psychology Services are part of the Theatres department.

Psychological issues can have a negative impact on a patient’s illness experiences, prognosis, recovery and quality of life vectors. This can then lead to secondary healthcare needs, such as repeated admissions, increased clinical contact and involvement. This Service functions to promote patients’ psychological well-being, assisting them in managing their health conditions, as well as in strengthening and developing positive focussed coping strategies.

Psychology Services has specialist streams providing psychological care to a number of medical and surgical specialties within CHS, as well as in providing psychological input into community based health services. Psychologists working within these multiple streams offer specialist psychological assessment and treatment, both on an in-patient and out-patient basis. Psychology Services offers evidence based treatments, as outlined within the range of relevant NICE guidelines, as well as being guided by current research recommendations. Psychologists working within these clinical areas, also aim to promote awareness and the utilisation of the biopsychosocial framework within these same healthcare teams, in order to improve effective condition management, treatment and rehabilitation.

Psychology Services’ clinical staff also work to provide consultation, clinical supervision and training initiatives for healthcare staff, within the specialist streams that they work into. These initiatives help develop psychological skills within healthcare staff’s treatment approaches and this can directly improve patient’s experiences, as well as support staff in managing complexities in patient care.

Psychology Services 0191 5410058

Psychology Services

Chester Lodge

Sunderland Royal Hospital

Kayll Road

Sunderland

SR4 7TP

Psychology services are located at Chester Lodge, Sunderland Royal Hospital. This is most easily accessed by the Chester Road entrance, and is located opposite Outpatients main entrance across the car park.

Access to Psychology Services for adults is mainly through tertiary referral from the medical and surgical specialties, within CHS, but we also welcome the consideration of direct referrals from GPs who are managing patients with complex long term health conditions.

Divisional General Manager Anna Hargrave

Directorate Manager Vicky Mitchell

Clinical Director Martin Millar

Matron Angie Bell

Head of Service Dr Tony Wells

Dr Wells Personal Secretary Michelle Thornton

Our team includes Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Specialist Nurse.

Problems we work with include:

• Pain Management
• Chorionic Fatigue Syndrome
• Weight Management including Tier 3 & Tier 4
• Palliative Care

We also work with patients with long term conditions including:

• Diabetes
• Cardiac Disease