Lincolnshire’s Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS) celebrates 5-year anniversary
Published on: 1st April 2021
The Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS), run by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), has been providing support to people with mental health needs in the county’s hospitals for five years.
The service provides specialist psychiatry assessments, support and treatment for patients in hospital aged sixteen or older who have needs related to mental health and/or dementia. The service comprises of three MHLS teams, who also play a key role in subsequent signposting and discharge planning, with direct links to all other LPFT services and external community services. This helps to support smooth transitions of care when patients leave hospital, ensuring that they continue to receive the support they need.
The service launched from very humble beginnings where the MHLS’ place in the patient journey was not yet fully established or understood. Over the years, staff have built strong relationships with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) colleagues to develop pathways to find ways of improving patient experience and ensure that any patient who attends hospital receives excellent holistic care that considers their physical, social and mental health needs.
Debbie Judge, Clinical Lead for MHLS Boston, said:
“Liaison mental health is a specialist service that plays a valuable role in supporting adults and older adults who have both mental and physical health problems in a general hospital setting. Our service can help people avoid lengthy stays in hospital and can speed up discharge. We make sure people who experience a mental health crisis have received an emergency response from the service within an hour, and that within four hours they have a care pathway in place within the appropriate service which meets their needs.
Over the years, the Mental Health Liaison Team have developed an excellent rapport with the medical staff, nursing staff, and adult social care services, and are working to spread this relationship to the wider staff group, regardless of their role within the hospital. We continue to progress these collaborative relationships to promote and increase the quality of the patient care.”
Since launching in April 2016, the service has supported 12,793 patients at Lincoln County, Boston Pilgrim and Grantham Hospital. At present in 2021, the MHLS has launched a fully commissioned 24-hour liaison service and teams are more committed than ever to continuous improvement. The service is working towards accreditations such as the Psychiatric Liaison Accreditation Network (PLAN) accreditation, and the ‘Core 24 model’ for liaison services.
Steve Roberts, Divisional Manager of our Older Adult Mental Health and Frailty Division, said:
“Reflecting on five years of the MHLS shows a picture of continued development, growth and scope. We have witnessed the dedication of a service at the very front line of mental health support and delivery, within an ever demanding setting and local and national agenda. The MHLS team have adapted, grown and continued to deliver excellent and responsive services, often in extraordinary circumstances. This is a true testament to individuals that have and continue to shape, develop and deliver it.”
