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Patients with severe depression and suicidal ideation will be invited to try pioneering treatment using brain stimulation headsets as part of a Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) pilot.
A total of £40,000 has been secured by the Trust’s charity, Raising Health to purchase nearly 150 additional Flow headsets and headset pad refills.
Last year, LPT, which provides community and mental health services for all ages across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), became the first NHS mental health crisis service in the UK to pilot the use of Flow Neuroscience headsets.
The non-invasive devices use transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to gently stimulate parts of the brain that help to regulate mood, sleep, and motivation.
The pilot, which has treated over 160 patients, saw:
- 71% of patients report a reliable reduction in their depressive symptoms within six weeks of use
- The number of people having thoughts of suicide reduced by a third within three weeks of use and two thirds by 10 weeks of use.
Dr Mark McConnochie, consultant psychiatrist at LPT, said: “There is real potential to support these patients in treating their depression and getting their lives back. Longer term, the Flow headsets could help us to provide an additional, effective treatment option, particularly if medication isn’t suitable.”
As tDCS therapy is not currently funded through core NHS budgets, access to this life-changing technology has relied entirely on charitable funding through the Raising Health charity and generous donations from:
- Blaby District Council
- Carlton Hayes Mental Health Charity
- Duncan and Toplis Foundation
- E H Smith Charitable Trust
- Forterra Community Fund
- Hobson Charity
- Hospital Saturday Fund
- Morrison’s Foundation
- Westfield Health.
Dr Hannah Nearney, UK medical director for Flow Neuroscience, said: “It has been inspirational to work with Raising Health. Their dedication has enabled LPT to make faster progress than other NHS pilot sites, with fantastic results for patient care.”
Link to support
https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/world-suicide-prevention-day/
Mental health support - Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
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