Older People’s Community Treatment Team – Newcastle and North Tyneside

Community Treatment Teams provide a wide range of support for people seeking specialist assessment and treatment for a mental health difficulty. The majority of people we support are aged 65 or older, although we do see people who are younger, depending on the reason for the referral.

We work with people who need more specialist or intensive help than their GP or other health worker is able to give. The CTT has a range of specially trained staff with different roles and expertise. You will see the person best able to assist you at the appropriate time.

If your GP or another health professional feels that you might benefit from our help they will contact us to arrange an appointment for you. If we can help, a member of the team will see you either at your home or as an outpatient as soon as possible.

We try to see all new patients as soon as possible after receiving a referral dependent upon need. This is usually within four weeks but may be sooner if the request is urgent.

At the first appointment, we will talk through the problems you are experiencing and the best way to help you. You may be offered further help, either by the person who meets you first or by another member of the team. The help we offer may include:
• Further specialist assessments over a longer period of time or by another health professional
• Formulation based interventions and strategies to help improve your wellbeing
• Psychological intervention/talking therapies
• Medication management
• Diagnosis and treatment of memory problems eg dementia
• Support, advice and health information
• Carer support for close friends and family members
• Linking with your GP and other services as necessary

The CTT telephone number is 0191 246 8655 available during office hours. The team is currently unable to provide an out of hours service. Urgent requests (for assessment only) at weekends or evenings are usually via GPs to a centralised on call service

• Your GP
• Accident and Emergency - Newcastle 0191 233 6161
• Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre - 0344 811 8111
• NHS Emergency and Urgent Care Service - 111
• The Samaritans - 116 123
• Social Services Emergency Duty Team - Newcastle 0191 278 7878

We have a duty to keep information about you confidential. We make sure that we only share it with others who are involved in providing care for you such as your GP or Social care professional. We keep all information securely.

Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk (click on the ‘Contact Us’ tab)
• telephone the Complaints Department 0191 245 6672
• email complaints@cntw.nhs.uk Please note that information sent to the Trust via email is sent at your own risk
• We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
- the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at
www.cntw.nhs.uk/poy
- complete a Points of You survey, available from staff.

Single Point of Access
Centre for the Health of the Elderly
Campus for Ageing and Vitality
Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 6BE

You can contact the team by ringing Single Point of Access Tel: 0191 246 8655 during office hours.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Tel: 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2019 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/131/0619 June 2019 V7
www.cntw.nhs.uk Tel: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2022