Summary
Mental Health Assessment Units are an alternative referral destination for those experiencing Mental Health crises, to reduce their wait times and alleviate demand on Emergency Departments.
Making A Difference
Initally put in place as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, MHAUs dramatically reduced individual wait times and available capacity of first responders to attend other emergencies. The project has strong links to Community Plan Perfomance Indicators, which can be explored in the Performance Report.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Emergency Departments of our hospitals were experiencing unprecedented demand and pressure. Despite best efforts to scale-up and meet this demand, there simply were not enough existing resources to keep an adequate rate of flow through A&Es while also keeping in line with social distancing and other safety measures in place to reduce the risk of staff/patient cross contamination. To help alleviate this pressure, avenues were explored through which certain patients who would normally attend an Emergency Department could be diverted to another channel.
Mental Health Assessment Units were one such initiative, designed to assist patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis or distress, and are in need of a clinical response. They provide an alternative base through which a Specialist Mental Health Assessment team can offer assessment, diagnosis, and management.
“The vast majority of patients will go home after that assessment with the right level of support, with some having appointments for the next day for our community teams to visit them at home to take forward their care”.
– Amy MacLean, Nurse Team Lead at Leverndale MHAU
Those who are treated through the Mental Health Assessment Units are able to access the care they need significantly faster than they would had they self-presented to A&E or accessed assistance via Police Scotland or the Ambulance Service.
Not only have the MHAUs reduced wait times for individual patients, they have also proved invaluable to first responders, who have found the rapid response it provides has increased their available capacity to response to other emergencies. While the project was initially put in place to address the heightened demand caused by COVID-19, discussions are underway regarding extending the initiative moving forward due to its positive reception from all parties.
In a quote to the Glasgow Times, T/CI Janie Thomson-Goldie of Police Scotland said “During the last year, the MHAUs have provided valuable guidance and professional support to keep people safe 24/7”.
“The partnership work over the last year has meant the overwhelming majority of vulnerable people got the required support in a timely manner, avoiding lengthy waits in EDs.”
“This also meant police officers were returned to front line duties as quickly as possible”.
While the service is currently unable to accept self-referrals, you can be referred to a Mental Health Assessment Unit by your GP, NHS 24, Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, or from an Emergency Department.
