Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre (MHUAC)

The Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre (MHUAC) is based on the Lincoln County Hospital site at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre. The MHUAC provides a waiting room and three clinical assessment rooms within the PHC site. This enables decision making for care and treatment away from the Emergency Department (ED) setting, in a more therapeutic environment.

The MHUAC has been set up to assess and manage the needs of service users, providing an easy to access service that provides timely assessment for people suffering from a mental health crisis. Assessments are conducted in conjunction with the service user as well as carers and/or relatives.

We accept people over the age of 18 via walk-ins and referrals from the ambulance service and police, and/or diversions from the ED. Children can also access the centre by referrals from the ambulance service and/or diversions from the ED.

Following assessment at MHUAC, a decision will be made about ongoing support. This may include:

• Discharge home into care of the GP
• Discharge home with short term support from the intensive home treatment teams
• Signposting to other services which may be able to help with social concerns such as housing or debt management
• Referral to the Psychiatric Clinical Decisions Unit (PCDU) for an extended period of assessment
• Admission to a mental health hospital

The team

The MHUAC team includes mental health nurses, social workers, healthcare support workers, a team co-ordinator and administrative staff.

The team will:

• Assess mental health needs.
• Deliver practical problem solving.
• Review and identify any risk to the person themselves or others.
• Provide help, advice and liaison with other services such as housing and debt management to support the person in crisis.
• Follow up where necessary with other LPFT teams.

How do people access support from the MHUAC?

We accept people over the age of 18 via walk-ins and referrals from the ambulance service and police, and/or diversions from the ED. Children can also access the centre by referrals from the ambulance service and/or diversions from the ED.