Services Provided

Areas of Service Delivery

General Liaison:

• Inpatient medical and surgical consultation of all with mental health needs;
• Outpatients with complex medical and mental health morbidity

Emergency Department Liaison (including Self-Harm):

• Assessment and short-term management of all self-harm and other mental health presentations in the ED;
• Short-term follow-up service for selected self-harm (ie signposting, bridging and problem-solving)

Alcohol & Drug Liaison:

• Assessment and brief intervention in the ED and inpatient wards
• Assessment and outpatient follow-up of certain high-risk outpatients (eg Hepatology patients)

Psycho-oncology Liaison:

• Assessment and short-term management of distress and mental disorders in cancer patients who are undergoing active treatment at CUH as in-patients or day-patients.

Obstetric / Perinatal Liaison:

• Assessment and short-term management of Maternity Hospital in-patients with emergency mental health needs and/or major mental illness.

Clinical Psychology:

• Clinical care for adults experiencing complex psychological and emotional problems arising from physical illness or somatic concerns (ie adjustment to chronic or life-threatening illness, body image concerns, post-traumatic stress, somatisation).

Old Age Liaison

• Inpatient medical and surgical consultation of all >65 years with significant mental health needs;

Interventions Offered By Team Members

These are evidence based and in line with good practice. They include:

1. Assessment and recommendations for patient/client care within the acute hospital setting and outpatient clinics.
2. Signposting to a specific set of mental health resources
3. Brief psychological interventions (problem-solving; solution focussed, cognitive-behavioural).
4. Psychotherapeutic interventions where appropriate e.g. individual or group psychotherapy,
5. Psychopharmacological interventions e.g. medication prescribed by medical staff on the team.
6. Service interventions e.g. admission/transfer to a psychiatric ward specialist unit; referral to specialist/voluntary agencies
7. Audit and research.
8. Teaching and training including placements offered to various professional training schemes.
9. Contribution to policies and guidelines within CUH to ensure best practice prevails.