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Comparison of liaison psychiatry service models for older patients

Staff Grade in Liaison Psychiatry for Older People

Charlotte Hanlon

Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry

Danny Sullivan

Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry

Gina Waters

Consultant Psychiatrist

Martin Prince

Consultant Psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Department of Psychological Medicine (King’s College Hospital), Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

At a London teaching hospital, the existing off-site consultation model psychiatric liaison service for older people was replaced with an on-site liaison model service in December 2000. Several indicators of the functioning of the service were audited using identical methods before and after this change.

RESULTS

The case-load increased by 50%, but the liaison psychiatrists were more satisfied with the appropriateness of referrals. The case mix did not change. The new service achieved target waiting times more consistently, particularly for urgent referrals. Referring teams were more satisfied with the speed of response, while the new service maintained the salience and clarity of advice.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Findings are on the whole favourable, and support the wider introduction of specialist old-age liaison psychiatric services.

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