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Community and mental health services for Southampton, Portsmouth and parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

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Staying well

How to care for yourself when waiting for an appointment


We are committed to providing great health and care services to you and those close to you as soon as we can in order to keep more people well and independent throughout their lives.

As with other NHS Trusts and providers, sometimes appointments or treatment is not immediately available from a mental health or care professional.

We know that this can feel frustrating which is why we have created the following suite of resources which will help support you to wait well during this period of time.

If you are experiencing a condition which you feel is impacting on your mental health, working through workbooks or sets of modules can help you access free, professional guidance when you want and need, and at your own pace. These formats also offer the opportunity to learn positive exercises such as mindfulness training and meditation.

The Centre for Clinical Interventions has a wealth of resources.  

There are many psychological and emotional positives in getting self-help when your mental health is impacted. Webpages from professional and accredited organisations enable you to access structured information and advice, looking at aspects including physical symptoms, emotions, behaviours and how to do things differently.

Our Talking Change website and getselfhelp.co.uk offers a range of self-help including in downloadable audio and document files.

Acting in a self-compassionate and kind way can be a really powerful tool during times that you are finding difficult. In identifying those periods, you can discover and deploy ways to comfort and care for yourself. Guided practices and self-compassion exercises can be really valuable to consider and practice.

Nurturing your mental and general wellbeing

At Solent we have created and curated a range of different content to help nurture your mental health and general wellbeing. Wellbeing is an important matter for everyone and acknowledging that fact is a key first step. We also know that starting - and having - conversations with those we trust and respect, can have positive effects and make people feel connected in meaningful ways.

The Solent Sessions podcast 

The show where we explore our minds, chat about lived experiences and hear the powerful stories of real people living real lives. From conversations with wellbeing experts to people in the community, join our hosts Dan Winter-Bates and Emily Munns, as they take you through some real, raw and sometimes difficult conversations to help raise awareness in the world of wellbeing.

From improving our physical wellbeing to looking at how we can be kinder to ourselves, our Trust magazine includes a variety of wellness and self-help themed content.

A series of mindfulness, acceptance and compassion exercises for everyday life.

From practicing meditation to building resilience, there are many wellbeing apps out there. Here are a few: 

Depression CBT Self-Help Guide

Moodfit

Happify

Blogs can also be a great way of learning how to nurture our own wellbeing through peoples experiences. Visit our blog pages for some quick reads: 

Lifestyle and wellbeing blogs

Lived experience blogs

Here are some top reads as recommended by Business Psychologist and Coach, Hazel Anderson-Turner: Don’t Hate Meditate by Megan Monahan, The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams. 

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Please visit our services page for specific services and contact details. Alternatively, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service by emailing or calling the number below. You can also give us feedback, make a complaint or share a compliment.

pals@solent.nhs.uk

0800 013 2319

*Lines are open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005.

The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

Email: InformationGovernanceTeam@solent.nhs.uk

Phone: 0300 123 3919

*Subject to any exemptions which apply, we are obliged to provide the information requested please note that requests for Personal Information is not covered under this Act and should be applied for through the Data Protection Act 1998.

Our administrative and managerial centre is based in Southampton.

While our services can be found around various NHS locations in Southampton and Portsmouth (and surrounding districts), our administrative and managerial centre is based in Southampton at:

Highpoint Venue
Bursledon Road
Southampton
SO19 8BR

If you require a printable version of how to find us including bus times, car access and bike info please download our leaflet. (Copyright of Highpoint Venue).

Central office phone: 0300 123 3390

*Lines open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

If you are a journalist with a media enquiry, please contact the Communications Team at:

communications@solent.nhs.uk

0300 123 4156 or 02381 031076

The Communications Office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.