Emergency psychiatry: a neglected area of a Cinderella service?

Abstract

Objectives: To describe existing Scottish psychiatric emergency services, particularly the staffing levels and supervision of junior staff, to assess the level of recording of the urgency of referrals to such services and to determine the approximate rates of emergency presentations. Method: A postal questionnaire was sent to all 29 Scottish psychiatric hospitals, addressed to the physician superintendent or the consultant in charge of emergency services. Twenty-six were returned and further details on these and the other three services were clarified by telephone contact with medical records and medical staff. Description of services, number of presentations, staffing levels and degree of supervision were recorded. Rates of referral were estimated for Health Board populations. Results: Services varied from hospital based walk-in clinics through to community orientated domicillary assessment services. Emergency presentations are usually seen by junior staff in a psychiatric hospital outpatient department, a psychiatric ward or at an accident and emergency department. Out of hours supervision is typically by telephone advice from a consultant. Rates of emergency presentations based on collected and estimated figures were highest in urban areas. Conclusions: Scottish psychiatric emergency services are disparate in nature but all provide a 24 hour service. There is a lack of reliably collected data on the urgency of referrals but estimates suggest that there is a greater need for emergency psychiatric care in the large urban areas. Working definitions are proposed to assist in the classification of the urgency of referrals.