Mental health a&e

Ballerina123 · 06-07-2016, 03:10 PM

I've just moved house and my care has been transfer to a new trust.
In this trust at the local hospital they have a mental health a&e which is not in the main a&e but in the psych hospital next door.

So if your feeling mentally unstable you can present at those unit and they will assess you so you don't have to wait in the main a&e.

This is the first time I've heard of anything like this but does anyone else have this in their trust?

It's just seems like such a good idea. Thy should have them everywhere.
Saying that, however, I havnt been to this mental health a&e so I dunno how good it is but is sounds like a genius idea!

Wonderland. · 06-07-2016, 03:25 PM

My trust doesn't have this but I really like the idea!

Presumably the staff that work there will have a lot more training in mental health. I've found lack of understanding or being willing to try and understand, a big barrier between patients and staff in A&E

I think that also people would feel more able to go to A&E if they were in crisis if it were a separate psychiatric one. I know I would.

Bellatrix · 06-07-2016, 03:57 PM

There's one in North London. it's out of my borough though.

Ballerina123 · 06-07-2016, 04:06 PM

Yea wonderland it's ran by psychiatrist, mental health nurses and an amhp

Uglyducklin · 06-07-2016, 07:24 PM

What a fabulous idea ! Where is this xx

sherlock holmes · 07-07-2016, 08:26 AM

I've heard of it, but only in literally one place in London and I live in Essex!

Perplex010 · 07-07-2016, 07:28 PM

I think that's a great idea I wish we had one here. When I go to A&E with no physical problems (only mental ones) I get put in a freezing cold eye room and left there, not talked to. I usually walk out because of pure boredom and frustration.

yoyogirl · 13-07-2016, 05:25 PM

I think it's an amazing idea, it saves them constantly moving you around the a+e all the time your there. I know that when i had my psychotic episode i absolutely hated being moved around. So having a ward, specifically for acute cases is the best option

Brokenalexi · 17-07-2016, 06:14 PM

I live in Sweden atm and we have this actually, there's two units one that's open 8am-10pm which is smaller and in a local hospital and only covers about a 10th of my city. Then there's a big one which is for the entire city that you can go to 24hr if you need help. It's actually a really good way to reduce the waiting and don't have to go through regular a&e where you usually kinda get forgotten in a room and having to wait aaaages for someone to come. In psych a&e there's only mental health nurses and doctors which means everyone knows what to do if you're in crisis. I've been living in both UK and Sweden and having tried on both system with psych a&e and regular a&e I can say for sure that psych a&e is a lot better

Patchy · 17-07-2016, 08:53 PM

In Surrey there are 'Safe Havens' which are an alternative to A&E for anyone feeling in crisis and carers. There are members of staff there, including one from the local NHS Trust. These Safe Havens are across the whole of Surrey, open out of hours and Bank Holidays:

http://www.sabp.nhs.uk/services/ment...lt/safe-havens