Our pilot MHCAS is in the Mere Suite in Hartley Hospital, Southport. It has assessment rooms, overnight facilities, dining facilities, bathrooms and outside space. MHCAS is available 24/7 and is staffed by a registered mental health practitioner and a support worker.
MHCAS provides a comfortable space for service users (aged over 18) to receive an assessment of their mental health in a therapeutic environment. MHCAS is an alternative to accident and emergency departments for our patients who are presenting in mental health crisis and will reduce demand and response times in A&E by safely diverting patients as part of a parallel front door triage. MHCAS will also receive referrals from other services within mental health urgent care.
MHCAS operates a recovery focussed approach from the start of assessment, using principles of personalised care, co-production and supported self management. A bio-psychosocial assessment of needs is completed alongside a safety support plan and necessary onward referrals.
Service users received into MHCAS may be referred from Core 24, Crisis Resolution Home Treatment, First Response Service and Mental Health Triage and Response Service. They’ll need an assessment and the formulation of a treatment/safety plan. Service users agreeing to access the MHCAS will be assessed as having capacity, they’ll not be an imminent risk to themselves and/or others. The MHCAS cannot be used for people detained under the Mental Health Act (1983).
A robust referral and triage assessment will take place, ensuring that the most clinically appropriate service users are accepted, with an agreed access criteria to support the decision making process and to ensure patient safety. A clearly identified and agreed exit strategy is needed as part of the triage assessment to support patient capacity and flow.
MHCAS will reduce 12 hour breaches in A&E by providing a place for patients to have a longer and more specialist assessment in an environment that is more conducive to their needs. It will also reduce demand and response times in A&E by safely diverting patients to MHCAS as part of a parallel front door triage within the A&E departments, or via the crisis lines.
MHCAS will reduce admissions to inpatient wards by completing robust extended assessments. MHCAS will improve patient experience and support smooth transitions and onward referrals into appropriate services.
Data collection will continue and will be shared through internal governance processes. Patient and carer feedback will be gathered and shared, the patient journey and outcomes will be monitored and will include further contact with mental health urgent care services, the requirement for inpatient admission and specific feedback about MHCAS and the environment.
