Consult Liaison – Footscray Hospital

For health professionals

The service is for medical teams at Footscray Hospital to provide them with advice about mental health treatment for people in a medical or surgical ward.

This service aims to ensure timely and appropriate access for patients with mental health problems to mental health services.

We ensure the management of patients with mental health and/or behavioural problems is based on clinical and risk assessment in accordance with legislative and policy frameworks and accepted standards of care.

We can support a patient with:

• conducting a detailed psychiatric assessment
• accessing mental health services, including acute care
• helping to transfer patients requiring inpatient psychiatric treatment
• ensuring psychiatric follow-up after discharge
• helping with discharge planning
• direct liaison with community mental health services, GPs and other service providers.

Procedural information

Referral must be made by the treating doctor of a referring unit.

To refer, please follow these steps:

1. Seek the patient’s (and their family or carer’s) consent of the intention to refer the patient to the Community Liaison Psychiatry Service. Consent may not be required if the patient is under the Mental Health Act.
2. Complete a green ISBAR consultation request form and fax to 03 8345 6382.
3. Contact the Community Liaison Psychiatry Registrar to discuss reasons for referral and urgency of response required.

How to prepare the patient

The treating team will make an assessment of the patient’s mental state and decides if a referral to this service is needed. The decision is discussed with the patient and next of kin.

The Mental Health Act may come into force if the patient is unable to make a decision, or if the state of their mental health renders them unable to do so.

What/when you should refer to us

If a client is presenting with psychiatric symptoms of any type or when there is an established psychiatric diagnosis or if there is a risk to self or others due to unstable mental status.

What/when you should not refer to us

Not as a part of a routine process or if the patient does not have overnight admission or external agencies seeking psychiatric input.

Additional contact details

Consultation Liaison Psychiatric Service
Footscray Hospital

160 Gordon Street

Footscray Vic 3011

Phone: 03 8345 6080
Fax: 03 8345 6382
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

More information