Former mental health patient in Bridgend helps her old unit on its own path to recovery

• ITV Wales' Siôn Jenkins spoke to Helen about her journey

Warning: The following article contains references to anorexia and eating disorders

A former patient at Tŷ Llidiard, the children’s mental health hospital in Bridgend, is helping the previously troubled in-patient unit to turn its fortunes around.

Helen, 22, from Cardiff, is combining her studies to become a doctor with improving patient safety and standards at Tŷ Llidiard.

The year 2020 was a difficult time for many, and that was when Helen arrived at Tŷ Llidiard to begin her treatment for anorexia.

She studied for her A-Levels there at what was an unhappy time for herself, personally, and for the unit in general.

Helen said: “I wasn’t really engaging, I wasn’t there to get better. At that point, I just thought, ‘I’m going to eat my way out - I just want to get out of here, I don’t want to be here.’

“It was very regimented, very paternalistic - you did what you were told. There were no sorts of activities - there was nothing to do at all. We would just sit in the corridors and you’d be dwelling on the fact that you were there while everyone else was getting on with their life.”

Tŷ Llidiard is one of only two highly specialist CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) units in Wales. Historically, however, it hasn’t been without its issues.

A 16-year-old patient died there in 2018, which led to Cwm Taf Morgannwg - the health board which runs the £15m purpose-built unit - being issued with a prevention of future deaths report.

Serious concerns were also raised about leadership and culture at the unit. So much so that, in November 2021, it was escalated to the highest level of enhanced monitoring by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC).

But since then, Tŷ Llidiard has been on a journey of improvement, and has now been completely de-escalated to standard monitoring.

And that’s in no small part thanks to Helen who, as part of a group of former patients and carers, has been offering her insights and opinions to inform decision-making at the unit.

Helen said: “Not many people understand what it’s like to be at Tŷ Llidiard unless you’ve been there yourself. I’m not there to tell nurses how to be nurses, but I can explain what it’s like to have an eating disorder.

"It’s trying to combine those two areas of expertise to make that well-rounded, holistic approach.”

The improvement strategy for the unit is underpinned by the “Four Cs” of being caring, calm, compassionate and confident.

For Lloyd Griffiths, Cwm Taf Morgannwg’s Head of Mental Health Nursing, listening to the patient’s voice is an integral part of spearheading change and creating a better environment for all at Tŷ Llidiard.

Mr Griffiths said: “We’re now trying to involve the young people and their families in as much of the work we do, both clinically and on the improvement side.

“We’re really pleased and privileged to have people like Helen and some of her peers who are willing to give up their time and energy to come and help us improve and give us that value of lived experience on our improvement journey.”

Despite a difficult few years after leaving Tŷ Llidiard, Helen is now on a better path too, having recently finished her first year’s training to become a doctor, as she hopes to make a difference to those in need in more ways than one.

She added: “It’s never going to be easy for anyone to be at Tŷ Llidiard - it’s not a holiday camp, by any means - but just making that really difficult time a bit nicer [for patients] and seeing that come to life is really, really lovely.”

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