Consultant psychiatrist Dr Emilio Fernandez-Egea (centre) leads the Trust’s Clozapine Clinic which has expanded into the Cambridge Psychosis Centre with specialist pharmacist Christopher Jenkins and clinical psychologist Dr Nuria Segarra, to help assess and identify appropriate treatments for the most complex cases in the region, UK and internationally.
Between them, this multidisciplinary team offer decades of clinical and pharmacy expertise, working with patients and care teams to find the most effective routes to recovery and improved quality of life, considering the best available evidence. Cambridge Psychosis Centre actively leads psychosis research to find new ways to support the most complex cases which may be resistant to standard treatments.
People diagnosed with schizophrenia experience a wide range of symptoms which include delusions and hallucinations but also negative symptoms such as lack of motivation and memory problems, as well as anxiety, depression, movement disorders and physical health problems.
Treatment of schizophrenia symptoms can be very complex and some antipsychotic drugs require careful monitoring, with different approaches and new medicines tailored to individuals.
Emilio said: “Our new service draws on over 20 years of clinical insight and research to find the best ways to improve treatment and quality of life for people living with schizophrenia and psychosis. We are a research active service and offer opportunities for people to test cutting-edge novel therapies and treatments, translating the latest discoveries into psychosis care.
“We look forward to working with clinicians locally and around the UK to support their most complex cases and find new routes to recovery together. We also welcome any students and clinicians who would like to learn how to integrate research with clinical care and gain experience working at the forefront of mental health practice.”
Cambridge Psychosis Centre is open to both local and internal referrals for people using mental health services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, as well as external referrals for people in other mental health services. To request a clinical assessment or treatment recommendation, contact them at: cambridgepsychosis@cpft.nhs.uk.
For more information on the service, click to visit the Cambridge Psychosis Centre webpage.
