Eleanor Wilson
Eleanor Wilson is the general manager of the Motherwell Locality within NHS Lanarkshire.
She joined the NHS in February 1972, originally working at Strathclyde Hospital before moving to Hartwood Hospital in October later that year.
In 1975 Eleanor completed her Psychiatric Nursing training at Hartwood Hospital.
Throughout her career Eleanor - who is pictured wearing the Hartwood Hospital scarf - worked in mental health until she took up her current post in 2006.
On this page she looks at her own career, especially her time working at Hartwood Hospital, and speaks about the changes she has experienced in mental health care and those she expects in the future.
Early Days
“Having a background in mental health care has given me a different perspective in my current role as a senior manager within NHS Lanarkshire.
“Things have changed amazingly quickly during my career and these changes have without doubt been for the good of the patients.
“I became one of the first community psychiatric nurses in Monklands in 1980.
“There were three of us based at Airdrie Health centre and we covered the whole of Lanarkshire.
“That has changed dramatically and there are now whole teams of mental health workers for each locality.”
Hartwood Hospital
Hartwood Hospital circa 1960s.
“When I started working at Hartwood Hospital in 1972 there were over 2000 patients but this started to be reduced from the early 1980s.
“Working at Hartwood as a nurse was part of your life – not just a job.
“I would go on holiday with my family and with patients but that’s just the way it was. It was a vocation and your job definitely interfered with your personal life.
“Hartwood was a community, not just a hospital.
“Our shifts started at 6.40am and I would have to leave at 5.45am to get the number 29 bus to Hartwood.
“All the people on the bus would be going to Hartwood and many would be wearing the navy blue, red and green hospital scarf with the Hartwood crest.
“If it was snowing the bus would drop you a couple of miles from the hospital as it would not make it up the hill.
“On many occasions you would just have to stay overnight at the hospital as the nightshift staff would not be able to make it so you would just grab a bit of sleep whenever you could.
“Patients worked in the gardens which were beautiful and there was a working farm which they ran.”
Changes in Mental Health Care
“Mental health care was delivered in large hospitals where the majority of patients would stay long-term.
“Hartwoodhill Hospital, for example, was originally an old asylum and by the 1950s there were about 2000 patients, many of whom were completely institutionalised.
“Many stayed so long in the hospital they were not able to cope with living on their own without support.
“Now it is understood that people with mental health issues can still live in their own homes with varying degrees of care and support in the community.
“Hospitals should only be used for treating people who are seriously ill with everyone else receiving care in their local community.
“We are increasingly working alongside social work to help people live normal lives even if they have certain physical and mental issues which means they need support.
“It’s great to see patients now, who years ago I would have thought would never be capable of living on their own, being well supported and doing well in their own homes.
“I can’t believe how much has changed in such a short space of time and these changes have been of huge benefit to the patients.”
Future trends
“I think there will be a continuing shift from patients being cared in hospital to being supported in their own homes with health care through GPs and local primary care.
“People with mental health problems will always benefit from periods of sanctuary and therefore future developments must be carefully thought through and planned.”