Liaison psychiatry service at St Helier

Liaison Psychiatry and Drug & Alcohol Service Referral Guidelines

A. Liaison Psychiatry – Adult Patients

The St Helier Hospital Liaison Psychiatry Service has expertise in the assessment and management of adult patients (18 years of age and over) with psychiatric and psychological problems in the Emergency Department (ED), on the hospital wards, and in the outpatient clinics.

The Service operates 24/7. Staff with specific expertise in working with older adults are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Patients referred to the Service have a wide range of mental health problems, such as self-harm, co-morbid severe mental illness, mood disorders in the context of physical illness, complex cases of delirium and/or dementia, and medically unexplained physical symptoms.

Interventions provided by the Service include the prescription of psychotropic medication, brief psychological interventions, and signposting to community and non-statutory services.

The Service accepts the majority of referrals, but may give advice when there is judged not to be a need for psychiatric assessment or intervention. Potential referrals can be discussed with the Service.

In discussion with the referrer, patients are prioritized according to urgency, to be seen within the following time limits:

• Emergency (including all ED referrals) within 1 hour;
• Urgent, within same working day;
• Routine, within two working days.
• Making a referral: Inpatients or patients in the ED
• Contact the Liaison Psychiatry team via bleep (167). You will be asked for details of the patient, the reason for referral and urgency of the problem.
• Patients 75 years and older, and/or patients with a diagnosed, or suspected dementia can be referred directly to older adults Liaison Psychiatry staff (Bleep 565

B. Liaison Psychiatry – Children and Young People

• CECS operates 7 days a week (including bank holidays) during the hours 9 am – 8pm. The cut off for new referrals is 6pm; this takes into account travel time and to ensure adequate time for assessment, intervention and documentation. Telephone support is offered to referrers and out of hours teams until 8pm.

Making a referral:

• Referrals to CECS are received via email. Referrers are expected to fill out the CECS referral form
• Email: CAMHSEmergencyCare@swlstg.nhs.uk
• The CECS can be phoned on 07870 917 114 between 9am and 8pm for advice or support before a referral is made, or to check that a referral form has been received.

C. Drug and Alcohol Service

Patients in the ED

• The Assertive Outreach Workers from Inspire, the Sutton community drug and alcohol service, accept referrals of any problem drinkers (i.e. those who are alcohol dependent or who are drinking above national recommended limits), or patients using illicit drugs, who present to the ED.
• Referrals can be made using the Alcohol Misuse Referral Form on iClip Pro under Orders. The team can also be contacted on ext. 8171.

2. Inpatients

There is an Alcohol Liaison Nurse within the Liaison Psychiatry Service who works from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and who accepts referrals of inpatients with problem drinking (see above) or substance misuse.

The Service also accepts referrals of problem drinkers with significant psychiatric co-morbidity (e.g. depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol-related brain damage, DTs with challenging behaviour)

Referrals for inpatients with alcohol and substance misuse are made directly to the Liaison Psychiatry Service (bleep 167).