Emergency Departments
Services for people who present to the Emergency Department following Self-harm or Suicide-related Ideation
All presentations to emergency departments are triaged by emergency medicine nurses before onward referral to mental health Clinical Nurse Specialist and or Mental Health Liaison team.
Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), other equally qualified mental health professionals and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs), all of whom receive clinical guidance and supervision from Consultant Psychiatrists, provide expert biopsychosocial assessments.
The programme ensures that every patient receives a compassionate, empathic, validating response, and a therapeutic assessment and intervention; that every effort is made to ensure that a family member or supportive adult is involved in assessment and safety planning, and that they are followed up and linked to appropriate next care.
Where is the service available?
The programme is implemented in all 26 adult and one standalone paediatric acute hospital emergency departments which are operating 24/7.
Data Collection
Anonymised presentation data is collected on a form embedded in an excel spreadsheet. The programme collects both self-harm and suicide-related ideation data, this information is used to plan and review services.
Note that if you are in crisis or in need of support, you should contact a relevant mental health support service, or in an emergency, get urgent help.