What does the Mental Health Liaison Service do?
The role of the Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS) is to support patients with mental health problems who are in general hospital wards to receive treatment for physical problems. Liaison staff work alongside medical and nursing professionals to provide mental health assessments and treatment for people with co-existent physical and mental health problems, with the goal of improving both the quality of care and overall outcomes for these individuals. The Mental Health Liaison Service helps to bridge the gap between the mental and physical health services. Supporting patients and conducting mental health assessments is an important role of Liaison personnel, but they also educate general medical staff around mental health issues. Mental Health Liaison staff advocate for patients on general wards to ensure their safe discharge and streamlined onward referral. Working with patients’ families and outreach to other community mental health teams also falls under the remit of the Mental Health Liaison service.
What staff work in the Mental Health Liaison Service?
The Mental Health Liaison Service consists of mental health nursing staff and psychiatrists, with admin support.
Where are Mental Health Liaison Teams located?
There are Mental Health Liaison teams in Altnagelvin and the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).
How do patients access the Mental Health Liaison Service?
Referrals can come from any of the acute wards in either SWAH or Altnagelvin, as well as referrals from South West Acute Hospital Emergency Department (9:00AM – 3:00PM Monday – Friday). Referrals may also be received from Mental Health Teams. For example, current psychiatric inpatients may be transferred to an acute hospital due to a deterioration in their physical health. Referrals can also be received from Community Mental Health Teams, for example, from a key worker. An individual referred does not have to be deemed medically fit to be seen by MHLS. Referrals to the MHLS are all accepted and then discussed within the team. Currently the age group for referrals is 18-65.
When is the Mental Health Liaison Service available?
Monday-Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM acute wards (Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospital) and Emergency Department 9:00AM – 3:00PM at present in Emergency Department South West Acute Hospital. The Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) currently continue to assess crisis presentations after 3:00PM in Emergency Department, out-of-hours, at weekends and bank holidays.