The Neuchâtel Center for Psychiatry (CNP) will take measures to respond to new challenges linked to the vision centered on patient recovery. A collective of 70 caregivers believes that the institution is in crisis. For the CNP, the validation of strategic options generated strong expectations for change and an acceleration of the transformation process.
sda
The chairman of the board of directors Jean-Pierre Brügger explained on Monday that the CNP is affected by three points: the enormous pressure on the health system, the period of change which requires adjustments and questioning and the work of partnership to be developed with various stakeholders.
Jean-Pierre Brügger added that he explains “difficultly” the approach of the collective of caregivers, who alerted the press and who will meet the Council of State on June 26. The subject was also discussed at the Grand Council in April where many deputies were moved by the situation. “The numerous elements noted by the collective are part of the ongoing plan to address the situation,” said the president of the CNP.
For general director Raffaella Diana, “there is a very strong expectation of change and a very ambitious vision which puts the patient at the center, which has not yet been fully realized”. The gap between aspirations linked to the 2030 strategy and today’s reality has created “excessively high expectations”.
Paradigm shift
The principle of recovery of the patient, who becomes an actor and who has responsibility in his care journey, “results in a paradigm shift,” declared Alessandra Solida, medical director. The move toward outpatient care also requires more network collaborations and exchanges with partners, added board member Charles Bonsack.
In 2021, when the Perreux site closed, around 50 executives were mobilized to develop the future vision in terms of mental health for the canton. The CNP noted in 2022 that the working climate was problematic in certain sectors, that management and clinical organization were very pyramidal and that the computerized patient file was unsatisfactory.
The institution commissioned three external studies, which focus respectively on the process and organization, the working climate and the image of the CNP. “The improvement measures that we will take this summer will respond to this,” explained Raffaella Diana.
The CNO 360 degrees project provides for administrative optimization, simplification of processes and adaptation of governance. Clinical processes will be harmonized and training is also planned to improve communication, leadership and management issues.
One of the challenges is to guarantee the quality of care in a context of shortage of qualified personnel and increasing mental health needs. Created in 2009, the CNP has around 630 employees, including around 100 doctors, 180 nurses and 90 psychologists. The institution provides 125,000 outpatient consultations per year and has a 102-bed hospital.
js, ats
