Since the signing of an innovative Memorandum of Understanding between the Trust and the Pakistan Army, a number of links have been formed, with representatives of the Pakistan military spending time at St George’s Hospital in Stafford and working with local mental health service staff to share knowledge and experience.
The Trust is also providing training to Armed Forces of Pakistan psychiatric trainees through a training scheme which has been approved by the UK’s General Medical Council.
This latest visit included presentations by senior Trust staff and visits to a number of services including psychiatric intensive care; perinatal; eating disorders; child and adolescent mental health and a sexual health clinic. General Zahid was also able to meet British Army soldiers currently receiving care in Stafford as part of MPFT’s contract to provide inpatient mental health care for serving military personnel.
Lieutenant General Zahid Hamid expressed his thanks to the Trust and praised staff for their high level of professionalism, culture of openness and mutual respect, and the high quality patient centred care they provide. .
Neil Carr added: “This is a really exciting partnership and I am delighted that General Zahid has expressed a desire to extend this international collaboration to other disciplines, supporting us to deliver better health and better care.”