The Psychiatrist (2006) 30: 260-263. doi: 10.1192/pb.30.7.260
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kewley, T.
Right arrow Articles by Bolton, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Kewley, T.
Right arrow Articles by Bolton, J.
Psychiatric Bulletin (2006) 30: 260-263
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

A survey of liaison psychiatry services in general hospitals and accident and emergency departments: do we have the balance right?

Tamsin Kewley, Specialist Registrar and Jim Bolton, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist

Department of Liaison Psychiatry, St Helier Hospital, Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 1AA, e-mail: jim.Bolton{at}swlstg-tr.nhs.uk

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

By use of a telephone survey, we aimed to investigate liaison psychiatry services of all 29 general hospitals in Greater London. We specifically enquired about services to accident and emergency (A&E) departments.

RESULTS

We identified wide variations in staffing, working hours and patient groups seen. Fourteen services (48%) worked over 24 h and 4 (14%) had specific A&E teams. Twelve services (41%) had established or planned working links with community crisis services.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Generally staff numbers fell below national recommendations and there were frequent gaps in service provision. The recent focus on emergency care has lead to an increase in A&E services, but there is a risk that liaison psychiatry services for other general hospital patients are being neglected.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 The PsychiatristHome page
D. Sakhuja and J. I. Bisson
Liaison psychiatry services in Wales
The Psychiatrist, April 1, 2008; 32(4): 134 - 136.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 The PsychiatristHome page
N. O'Keeffe, U. S. Ramaiah, E. Nomani, M. Fitzpatrick, and G. Ranjith
Benchmarking a liaison psychiatry service: a prospective 6-month study of quality indicators
The Psychiatrist, September 1, 2007; 31(9): 345 - 347.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Insidious undermining of the utility of the liaison nursing role
Alexandra L Pitman, et al.
The Psychiatrist Online, 5 Oct 2006 [Full text]