Psychology

Our cardiac psychology team work closely with patients to help enhance recovery from cardiac conditions by supporting and helping them cope with the lifestyle and physical changes often associated with cardiac issues. For example, they can help patients pre and post-surgery, as well as dealing with emotional, behavioural and lifestyle changes.

The Integrated Stroke and Community Neurological Rehabilitation Service is an integrated service that specialises in providing rehabilitation to patients with a neurological condition (e.g. stroke, aquired brain injury) in their own homes and in the community. Teams consist of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Rehabilitation Assistants and a Case Manager supporting people to work towards identified goals in order to make progress with their rehabilitation.

The Clinical Neuropsychology/Psychology team works alongside therapists during the patient’s rehabilitation journey to support with a wide range of neuropsychological/psychological issues, including emotional adjustment and distress, depression, anxiety, behavioural or cognitive difficulties. The Psychology team maintains close links with University based teaching and training courses, for example trainees undertaking the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) and Trainee Associate Psychological Practitioner studies.

Our psychologists within the End of Life Care team are there to help and support patients who are receiving end of life care. They are positioned to address the mental and emotional needs of patients who have life-limiting conditions or are reaching the end of their lives. Dealing with such conditions can be emotionally and mentally taxing, and patients may experience symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma.

The psychologists working within the Learning Disabilities support patients with learning disabilities. They help patients to deal with a range of mental health problems including anxiety, depression, learning needs, and relationship issues.

The Specialist Weight Management Service team includes Dietitians, Assistant Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and a Specialist Consultant. Their aim is to help people with their weight and health issues.

The Long Covid Syndrome Service is a multidisciplinary, integrated team made up of medics, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

The service aims to support and empower patients to understand their condition, develop the tools to self-manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The service provides individualised care tailored around each patients symptoms and needs, and also offer a group treatment. As the national understanding of Long Covid Syndrome is constantly evolving, we work closely with our patients to ensure their care is informed by the latest evidence and all relevant investigations are explored when assessing symptoms.

The Critical Care service at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust specialises in caring for patients who are seriously or critically ill or who are at risk or recovering from potentially life-threatening conditions. The psychologists in this team support patients who, for example, may find their experience traumatic or experience low mood and anxiety, as well as find it difficult to adjust.

The BTH Primary Intermediate Mental Health Team (PIMHT) is a community mental health team based in Blackpool, within the primary care service. The PIMHT comprises of mental health practitioners who provide effective care in the community, with a view to reduce admissions into secondary mental health services.

We are a small team of Clinical Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists working into the Oncology and Haematology services at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.  We support people across the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre area who have been diagnosed with cancer.  We also work with people from across Lancashire when they are under the care of our Tertiary Haematology Centre at Blackpool Victoria.

We know that cancer doesn’t just affect people’s physical wellbeing, it has an impact on their emotional wellbeing and overall mental health.  We see people at various stages of their cancer treatment and beyond to support them with aspects of coping and wellbeing.

This may include support around the following areas:

• Coping with cancer treatment and its impact
• Coming to terms with lived experience and managing loss and change
• Processing difficult experiences, including trauma
• Adjusting to life after a diagnosis and treatment
• Fears around recurrence and the future
• Distress around altered body image and impact of surgery
• Dealing with difficult diagnoses including non-curative cancer
• Supporting people on a palliative pathway and at end of life

We have training and experience in a number of therapeutic tools and techniques, and we will tailor these to the individual’s needs, depending on the particular difficulty they are experiencing.

The pain management service helps patients living with long-term pain. Chronic pain can be very difficult to live with and can affect emotional wellbeing. This may include things such as low mood, anxiety, concentration issues or problems with relationships, social life, and work.

The pain management psychologists can help patients better their understanding of chronic pain and help to improve things such as anxiety and low mood.

The psychologists the Cystic Fibrosis team understand what life is like living with Cystic Fibrosis and its challenges, including the difficult feelings it may bring, such as low mood, anxiety, anger, isolation and overwhelm and lots of other things. Our psychologists can help patients to better understand these feelings, develop coping strategies and improve their well-being.