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Description

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About Us
A Charity leading innovation in mental health

St Andrews is the UKs largest notforprofit mental healthcare charity

We offer specialist services for men women adolescents and older people across

Mental Healthcare

Learning Disability

Acquired Brain Injury

Progressive and Neurodegenerative Conditions

By putting our service users needs at the heart of everything that we do we have built a culture encouraging innovative practices leading clinical expertise and forwardthinking attitudes Through this St Andrews is fastbecoming a national centre of excellence

Values and Purpose
Empowerment Innovation Excellence

Our values frame everything that we do At St Andrews we are committed to offering the best care for our service users staff and partners and have strong valuedriven goals for our continued future

The Charity provides public healthcare in the finest environment We are worlds ahead of our competitors leading the way through our innovative practices and using our unique charitable status to reinvest funds into developing specialist regionallycentred care

We invest in our people We continue to nurture their talents and have our sights firmly set on becoming the employer of choice in the mental health care sector

We are committed to providing our service users with empowered care and rehabilitation which encourages independence Those in our care can lead better more fulfilled lives within a safe and secure therapeutic environment

Empowerment
All of our staff service users carers and healthcare workers will maximise their ability to the best they can be

Innovation
We will continue to invest in specialist and regional services and constantly improve our already excellent facilities

Excellence
We will lead the way in care and employ staff with a desire to improve the quality of life of our service users

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History

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St Andrews Heritage a charity leading in mental health

The Hospital at Northampton opened in 1838 intended to offer humane care to the mentally ill It was founded on the principle of Moral Treatment led by Dr Thomas Prichard and ever since has been at the forefront of innovation in mental health care The building was purpose designed by Mr George Wallet of the Bethlem Hospital and funded in large part from the reserves of the by then disbanded Northamptonshire Yeomanry through the good offices of Sir William Wake Bt

The land once owned by the Cluniac Priory of St Andrews in Northampton was purchased at auction In 1834 the Second Earl Spencer was elected a Vice President of the proposed Institution His descendant Princess Diana visited St Andrews in 1983 to open Spencer House now part of our Womens service The Spencers were one of a number of prominent Northamptonshire families continuously involved in St Andrews over many generations Several of these remain involved as Trustees Governors and supporters of the Charity The current Chairman Charles Wake and immediate past Chairmen Christopher Davidge and Sir John Robinson are also descended from the founding families

Development of the charity

The original architecture is still appreciated by patients in our older age service who enjoy the fine panelling and ceilings wide corridors welllit lounges and pleasant views The 106 acre estate at Northampton includes the Hospital Chapel of 1863 designed by Sir Gilbert Scott famous for The Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station and the Albert Memorial His son later became a resident Chaplaincy services at St Andrews continue to flourish click here

By the midnineteenth century the hospital was well recognised as a leader in the field of mental healthcare and by 1865 cared for over 400 patients Today St Andrews has over 500 patients in Northampton with services in Essex bringing the total to over 600 Technological developments at St Andrews Hospital included telephones installed in 1881 an electrical generator in 1898 and motor transport around 1909 The wider therapeutic environment was always a focus at St Andrews Occupational therapy began in the 1920s and the St Andrews School of Occupational Therapy now part of the Health School at the University of Northampton dates from 1941 St Andrews is a major national centre for training in occupational therapy and mental health nursing

Also in 1941 the Northampton site was victim to the Luftwaffe with reconstruction of wards libraries a gym and recreational facilities completed by 1954

St Andrews was one of four Registered Psychiatric Hospitals exempted from joining the National Health Service in 1948 maintaining its charitable status Only St Andrews and the Retreat in York now remain in the charity sector Since 1948 the proportion of NHS patients at St Andrews has grown to be now almost 100

Prominent people
St Andrews bestknown past resident was Northamptonshireborn John Clare Englands greatest rural poet He died in 1864 after more than 22 years of care having written many poems in the hospital Joseph Hassid a prewar Polish violinist compared with Heifetz and Menuhin stayed briefly Amongst other artistic residents have been Northamptonian Sir Malcolm Arnold perhaps the greatest English composer of the twentieth century who agreed to a new adolescent facility being named after him The aristocratic Violet Gibson who shot Mussolini in the 1920s was cared for here as have been members of many celebrated and influential families

In its long history the Board of Governors would typically include a Duke an Admiral or General a few captains of industry as well as several knights and nobles They have all supported the charity often through fundraising giving their time generously

These prominent figures linked with St Andrews as patients visitors or patrons have brought in their wake historians novelists playwrights and descendants requesting access to our archive or the old hospital itself These requests are considered on an individual basis taking into account the rights and known wishes of those concerned For this reason most are not mentioned here

Past Medical Superintendents are commemorated in ward names Dr Joseph Bayley held the post for 47 years until 1913 and amongst much else laid out the fine grounds of St Andrews Dr Daniel Rambaut whose name is attached to our secure service for older men was an Irish Rugby International who became President of the Royal MedicoPsychological Association in 1939 the predecessor of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Dr Thomas Tennent also became President of the College in 1971 and his son Dr Gavin Tennent who was brought up within the grounds of St Andrews Hospital became Superintendent in 1975 Dr James Harper brought an interest in Huntingtons disease and our specialist Huntingtons unit is named after him