SOUTH WESTERN DEANERY - South West Peninsula Deanery

Almost 60% of the population served live in the city itself and services must therefore cater for a large inner
city population. Unlike some other areas of the SW Region, Plymouth does not have an unusually high number
of elderly people in its population. The age structure is similar to the national pattern with 19% under 15 years
and 17% over 64 years. Projections show that although the population will grow by only 3% during the next 10
years, there will be a 36% increase in those over 75 years of age. There are good road and rail links to central
southern England and flights from Plymouth Airport at Derriford to London and other major cities. To the
north-east is the rugged and virtually unpopulated Dartmoor national park. The South Hams area to the east of
Plymouth boasts many charming villages and fishing ports. The area has a full range of educational and leisure
facilities.
A large part of Wednesday mornings is devoted to the academic programme for the training of junior doctors.
Under the supervision of the Clinical Tutor, the Specialty Trainees are involved in organising and participating in
this training. There is a weekly case presentation and Journal Club, where Specialty Trainees are expected to
be active participants in organising, delivering and teaching. In addition, Dr Montgomery runs a regular
research clinic to support trainees undertaking research projects. From September 2009, the Peninsula
MRCPsych course will be coordinated and delivered from Plymouth run by Drs Cooper, Dinniss and Bickerton.
Higher trainees are actively encouraged and supported to involve themselves in delivering the teaching.
Devon Partnership Trust
The Devon Partnership NHS Trust was created on 1 April 2001. From July 2002 the Trust provided Mental
Health, Learning Disability and Social Services to the majority of the Devon population apart from those living
in Plymouth, who continue to receive those services from Plymouth Primary Care Trust and Plymouth Social
Services.
The Devon Partnership Trust offers a comprehensive range of mental health and social care provision with
services to adults, older people, people with learning disability, children and adolescents, adults with
physical/sensory disability and people with drug and alcohol problems. Across the Trust there are specialist
services for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. There are strong academic links with our main research
partner, the Peninsula Medical School, through the Mental Health Research Group based in Exeter.
Exeter
Exeter is a Cathedral city and is the regional centre and county town of Devon. The Devon Partnership Trust
headquarters are at Wonford House Hospital, Dryden Road, Exeter. Wonford House Hospital is adjacent to the
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital on the same site. The Wonford site is within its own grounds, a mile from the
city centre. Devon Partnership Trust provides services to Exeter and the surrounding area through the Exeter
and East Devon locality. The Exeter and East Devon locality serves a population of 243,000 in total; 21% of that
population are aged 65 plus; 57% lie between 20 and 64; and 22% between 0 and 19.
Wonford House Hospital houses the Specialist Eating Disorders Unit, Older Persons Psychology facilities for
Exeter City, and district Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. The Cedars, a purpose-built unit, adjacent to
Wonford House, provides acute admission facilities for Exeter, East Devon and Exmouth localities, Delderfield
Ward; and the Tiverton/Okehampton localities, Coombehaven Ward. The Liaison Psychiatry service to the
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, and the Mental Health Group of the Institute of Health and Social Care
Research, Peninsula Medical School, (www.ex.ac.uk/dmh/) are co-located in Wonford House Hospital. The
Department of Clinical Psychology is also on the Wonford site, adjacent to other medical academic
departments of the Peninsula Medical School.
The library situated in Wonford House is specialist and stocks a wide range of books covering all aspects of
mental health. It is part of the University of Exeter library service and the catalogue can be accessed on
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