The liaison psychiatry service provides psychiatry input for patients aged 18-64 in Ulster Hospital Emergency Department and general wards. It is a 24/7 service.
The team is involved with assessing patients mental states, providing advice on managing acute behavioural disturbance, medication advice, Mental Health Order advice, arranging further follow up in the community, assessing risk to the patient and to others and referring to acute services.
We liaise with our colleagues in the Emergency Departments, general wards as well as with Substance Misuse Liaison Team and Psychiatry of Old Age when required.
We assess patients presenting in crisis in addition to those who require additional support with managing mental illness whilst they are admitted for a physical condition.
We provide regular review, including a medical review, while patients are waiting on admission to a psychiatric unit. The team has been involved in the education, teaching other specialities about our service and mental health.