Contact
Picktree ward
Bowes Lyon Unit
Lanchester Road Hospital
Lanchester Road
Durham
DH1 5RD
Phone: 0191 441 5895
Email: [email protected]
Service opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
The Persistent Physical Symptoms Service (PPSS)
We provide support to people aged 18+ who experience persistent physical symptoms that are not explained by illness.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Limb weakness
- Paralysis
- Movement disorders including tremors
- Non-epileptic seizures
- Visual, speech or swallowing symptoms
- Sensory disturbance such as numbness or tingling.
Our aim is to support you to manage your symptoms and improve your day-to-day functioning and quality of life.
Our team
In our team we have:
- Consultant psychiatrist
- Psychologists
- Cognitive behavioural therapist
- Senior nurse
- Specialist physiotherapists
- Specialist occupational therapist
- Support workers.
Supporting you
We are here to help you understand your symptoms.
We will give you a range of skills and abilities to manage them.
This includes:
- rehabilitation to help you recover quality of life, independence and improve your day-to-day functioning
- brief interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- support through longer term interventions if your needs are complex
- signposting to other relevant services such as talking therapies.
Being referred to our service
We take referrals* from GPs and other physical health professionals including hospital consultants, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.
Please speak to your GP or consultant if you think our service may be able to help you.
*Referrals for people living in Darlington are by consultant only.
Referral criteria
- You are aged 18 or over.
- You live in County Durham and Darlington.
- Your primary concern is experiencing persistent functional physical symptoms.
- All relevant medical investigations have been completed.
Our service is not suitable for you if:
- you are currently undergoing medical investigations
- your symptoms are solely a result of an organic condition or terminal illness
- you have palliative care needs.
What happens next?
If your referral shows that our service may meet your needs, we will contact you by phone (unless you have stated otherwise) to arrange an appointment.
If we feel our service isn’t appropriate for your needs, we will let you and the person who referred you know. We will explain the reasons and suggest alternative options.
Read more
You can read more about persistent physical symptoms on the Recovery College website.
L1160, v2, 15/03/2023 (archive 15/03/2026)
