University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust provides care to patients who have a primary physical need for care, but may also have mental health needs. The Trust takes patients’ rights very seriously.
This section of our website outlines your rights in relation to mental health during your care at one of our hospitals, such as what happens if you are not able to make decisions for yourself.
The Mental Health Act 1983 covers the rights, assessment and treatment of people experiencing mental health needs. The act details the process that needs to take place in order to detain a patient under a section of the Mental Health Act and the rights of the individual.
Via the Mental Health Act 2007, the government updated the 1983 Act to ensure it keeps pace with the changes in the way that mental health services are and should be delivered.
The Mental Capacity Act 2007 covers all sorts of situations where people aged 16 years and over need to make a decision about something that affects them, but may be unable to do so (they lack capacity to make the decision). It allows for people to plan ahead in case they may lack capacity in the future.
The Mental Capacity Act allows somebody to make decisions for a patient if they are not able to make decisions for themselves. The same rules apply whether the decisions are major life-changing events or everyday matters.
The five key principles of the Mental Capacity Act are:
An independent mental capacity advocate (IMCA) helps and represents people who lack capacity to make a decision when there is no-one else to ask and when certain serious decisions might be about to be made on their behalf. The IMCA looks at the way the decision is being made, but does not make the decision on behalf of the person they represent.
If you lack capacity to make a serious decision during your care at one of our hospitals, we may arrange for you to be assigned an IMCA. They are independent of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, and must always aim to ensure that the best interests of the person are being considered.
The Mental Capacity Act allows you (if you are over 18 and have the capacity to do so) to appoint someone to make decisions about your personal welfare or property and affairs should you ever lack the capacity to make these decisions yourself. This is done by setting up a legal document called a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).
The Mental Capacity Act enables you to write down wishes and preferences about care or other aspects of your life that you want healthcare professionals to be aware of when they are looking after you and you may be unable to tell them yourself. This is known as making an ‘advance statement’.
Should you lack capacity to make a decision for yourself, a decision maker is required to take this advance statement into account when considering your best interests. You should note that it is not legally binding on decision makers, but a decision maker should give reasons why it was not possible to carry out your requests.
The NHS Choices website has more information about about the Mental Capacity Act
For more information, please contact our Named Nurse for Safeguarding Adults on telephone 024 7696 6125 or via switchboard 024 7696 4000
or you can speak with the University Hospital Health Information Centre on telephone 024 7696 6051
Independent Advocacy (Coventry / Warwickshire)
MIND – guidance on the Mental Health Act
Back
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.