24/7 Healthcare Professionals Line and Crisis Hub
Provider
Initial Response Service (IRS)
The IRS includes the 24/7 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Line, Mental Health Response Vehicle and Mental Health Crisis Hub.
The 24/7 HCP Line offers telephone advice and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Crisis Hub is a service offered by the IRS, which allows patients to be seen face-to-face for a same day mental health assessment if following initial triage this appears clinically indicated. The Crisis Hub is staffed by CPNs and is therefore only able to provide a mental health assessment. If a physical assessment is also required i.e. overdose/self-harm, the patient needs to be directed/sent to appropriate services i.e. RCHT ED, where once medically stable they will be seen by the Psychiatry Liaison team.
If already known to specialist mental health services, the IRS will contact the appropriate locality team.
To access the IRS, telephone (01209) 881 999.
Required information prior to referral
-
Consent:
- If refusing assessment, consider calling 999 in emergencies or 101 in non-emergencies and request a police welfare check.
- Up-to-date contact number for patient.
Inclusion criteria
Aged 18yr or older with:
-
High (but not imminent) risk of suicide, harm to others (through violence or aggression) or incurred through exploitation or vulnerability.
-
Risky behaviour associated with thought disturbance e.g. psychosis, delirium, dementia.
- Need for Mental Health Act assessment.
Not an exhaustive list.
Exclusion criteria
- First episode of psychosis in patient aged 14-65yr – refer to Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (EIP). This is not a crisis service.
- Acute medical need, such as self-harm or overdose – admit to RCHT ED to become medically stable, Psychiatry Liaison review will then occur after medical assessment.
- Stable mental health condition with no need for acute intervention.
- Dementia assessment – see guideline on Memory Assessment.
- Face-to-face assessments cannot be offered to those withdrawing from illicit substances or alcohol due to associated risk and lack of medical cover in the Crisis Hub:
- If a patient requires support for withdrawal from substances and is acutely withdrawing requiring medical intervention they will need to attend ED. If medically stable and able to engage with MH assessment this will be a consideration of the Crisis Hub triage.
Not an exhaustive list.
Page Review Information
|
Review date |
03 July 2025 |
|
Next review date |
03 July 2027 |
|
Specialty Lead GP |
Dr Laura Vines |
|
Contributors |
Dr Jeremy Sandbrook, Consultant Psychiatrist Jane Pitts, Operational Manager for Crisis Services Jodie Whitford, Team Administrator for Crisis Services |