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After being triaged in the emergency department the new policy means young people with a mental health need are seen by a member of the mental health crisis team.
The young person will be assessed to establish their needs and, where appropriate, can be provided with community-based care, helping them to avoid an unnecessary admission to hospital.
The pathway was developed by Mimoza Qoba, children and young people mental health service clinical lead for the Royal Free London (RFL) and covers all five acute hospitals in NCL.
The new measures have been hugely successfully, leading to a 75% drop in the number of mental health admissions, shorter lengths of stay in hospital and reduced waiting times for care.
In recognition of her success, Mimoza was awarded the group quality improvement and efficiency award at the trust’s staff Oscars earlier this summer.
Mimoza said she is delighted with the success of this project and added: “Before we implemented this pathway, too many young people were stuck in emergency departments waiting for a mental health bed to become available. Often these patients did not need to be admitted, they just needed access to the right care in the community.
“Following the success of the pilot five and a half years ago, we were able to access more funding and our team is now well-established.
“A huge group effort from colleagues both within the RFL and our partner organisations has made this possible. It took us from separate liaison services at each acute hospital, each with a different model of working, to a joint approach.
“We’re now commissioned to respond to all five acute hospitals in NCL and two community-based crisis hubs giving us equitable resource across the patch.”
The mental health crisis team is made up of specialist mental health nurses and social workers, and although the service is not currently operating 24-hours a day, Mimoza hopes it will do in the near future.
She said building relationships across the mental health, social care and primary care system was crucial to helping patients leave the hospital setting as soon as it was safe to do so.
Feedback from patients, their families or care-givers has been overwhelmingly positive with patients saying they feel listened to. One respondent said: “The clinician was brilliant. She got my daughter to open up and access support and mental health services for the first time. Another said: “I was treated with care and understanding”.
Mimoza added: “We work closely with community services - it’s an efficient and joined-up service which works in the best interest of the patient and serves as an important safety net.”
