Procedure for Referral to the PICU Service
All referrals should be sent on the Phoenix Care Centre PICU Referral Form
All referrals are reviewed and screened by the MHA Administrator and PICU Consultant Psychiatrists who will then liaise with the referring Consultant Psychiatrist.
The PICU team will provide the referring Consultant Psychiatrist with advice on the management of the service user including any plan to transfer the service user to the PICU service.
If a decision to accept transfer of a service user to the PICU service is made, the referring Consultant Psychiatrist will arrange that the appropriate Mental Health Act 2001 documentation is completed and forwarded to the PICU MHA Administrator to be checked. These forms include;
- Completed Medical Referral Letter, Risk Assessment and current Prescription Chart
- (The Medical Referral Letter must state a working diagnosis and include a detailed personal & treatment history)
- Application for Recommendation for Involuntary Admission of an Adult (Forms 1-4)
- Recommendation for Involuntary Admission of an adult (Form 5)
- Involuntary Admission Order (Form 6) or Form 13 and Clinical Practice From S.14(2) or S.23(1) and patient Notification From S. 16(2) (As applicable)
- Notice of Transfer to another Approved Centre (Form 10) S.20,21(1),(3) & (4)
- Current Renewal Order by responsible Consultant Psychiatrist (Form 7) and patient Notification Form S.16(2)
- Medication Consent for more than 3 months (Form 17) S.60 or copy of Written Consent continuing to take medication for a further 3 month period.
- A written letter from the referring service’s Clinical Director to state that they will accept the service user back to the referring approved centre.
- A letter from the Consultant Psychiatrist in PICU service will be sent to the Admission Team to confirm acceptance of patient and to arrange transfer of patient to the PICU.
- All Admissions to the PICU service should normally be received onto the PICU no later than 15:00hrs.
- Day of Transfer Checklist (Available on the Website)
PICU Referral Form
Phoenix Care Centre Transfer Checklist.pdf (size 93.1 KB)
Any questions/queries about a PICU referral can be made to the MHA Administrator on:
Ph: 01 795 8700
PICU Referral Criteria
Service Users referred to the PICU should meet the following criteria;
- Be aged 18 years of age or over and be under 65 years of age
- The referring approved centre shall meet the legal requirements set out in Sections 20 to 22 of the Mental Health Act 2001.
- Service users considered for referral to the PICU may display behavioural difficulties which seriously compromise their physical or psychological well-being, or that of others and which cannot be safely assessed or treated in an open acute inpatient facility.
- Services users will only be considered if they display a significant risk of aggression or absconding with serious risk in the context of serious mental disorder.
- Service users will only be considered for admission if it has been demonstrated that Multidisciplinary management strategies in the referring acute admission unit have not succeeded in managing the presenting problems and that there is an agreed projected date of discharge.
- The referring consultant psychiatrist and members of the MDT may be required to attend MDT meetings in Phoenix Care Centre as part of the individual care plan.
- A written agreement will be signed by the Clinical Director of the referring approved centre guaranteeing to either accept the service user back to the referring approved centre.
- The referring consultant psychiatrist is responsible for making appropriate arrangements for the transfer of the patient from the approved centre to Phoenix Care Centre.
PICU Exclusion Criteria
Service Users referred to the PICU may be declined based on the following criteria;
- The service user is assessed as presenting too high a degree of risk for a PICU and requires Medium to High Therapeutic Security.
- The service user has a primary diagnosis of substance misuse.
- The service user’s behaviour is as a direct result of substance misuse and they are not suffering from an exacerbation of their mental disorder at the time of the referral.
- The service user’s only reason for transfer is suicidality or vulnerability (due to sexual disinhibition).
- The service user has a primary diagnosis of acute organic disorder.
- The service user has a primary diagnosis of acquired brain injury.
- The service user has a primary diagnosis of learning disability.
- The service user has a primary diagnosis of personality disorder.
- The service user’s condition is too frail to allow their safe management in a PICU environment.
