While hospital emergency departments across Australia have an important role in the care of people with mental illness, there is an increase in mental health presentations to emergency departments. We are all aware of the challenges around overcrowding and long waiting periods in emergency departments, at a time when we are experiencing an increased demand for mental health services. The lack of specialist mental health training and resources available in an emergency department can contribute to the long-standing stigma and discrimination for people living with a mental health illness, delay treatment, increase trauma and result in longer length of stays for episodes of care.
What we know is that this is a challenge across Australia, with mental health presentations twice as likely to spend more than 8 hours in an emergency department and well over represented among those kept waiting for an inpatient bed. Historically this has been seen as a challenge that needs to be addressed by mental health services and emergency departments. Despite best efforts this long-standing view has failed to significantly shift the length of stay and waiting periods in ED for people presenting with acute mental health concerns.
Northern Health is currently piloting an innovative alternative that includes of a ‘whole of hospital’ approach to managing this complex issue. The pilot program involves admitting mental health consumers to general medical beds if there is a delay in accessing a mental health bed. Based at the Northern Hospital in Epping, Victoria, the program has dedicated senior mental health nursing resource across 7 days and compliments the care provided by other health care professionals in a general inpatient unit.
This session will provide an overview of the main focus of the mental health outlier program and present data from a formal review on the impact of the program.