GPs have consistently indicated that they would like to be able to get specialist advice about their patients from consultant psychiatrists and other members of the multi disciplinary mental health teams. As a result of this feedback, and by working with NHS Kent and Medway, we have now developed a service for GPs, which we are now launching across Medway.
From 1 November 2011, GPs will be able to call a dedicated phone number between the hours of 12 noon and 2pm to get expert mental health advice. This dedicated phone line will put you through to the local community mental health service and a dedicated consultant psychiatrist will be on hand to offer expert advice. After speaking to the Medical Secretary manning the phone, a consultant psychiatrist will call you back before 2pm.
This service can be used by GPs to discuss new patients and appropriate primary care based treatments or the best course of action for referrals to secondary care.
We will capture details of the advice given for our record keeping.
The number for you to call between 12 noon and 2pm for expert mental health advice is as follows:
For emergencies and standard referrals the usual routes of referral remain in place at all times.
I trust that you welcome this service development and that it reflects the way you wish to be able to support your patients and gain additional expert advice. We launched this service earlier in the year in Eastern and Coastal Kent and I am pleased to say the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive to date. We will be evaluating the effectiveness of the service in Medway in the coming months, but if in the meantime you have any comments to make or further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on the details above.
You will find enclosed some reminder cards for this service.
Routine Referrals to the Access Service
In cases where you are clear you wish to make a referral to secondary mental health services, the single point of access continues to be the Medway Access Team. You can make referrals by calling 01634 825381 or by e-mail: KAMNASCPT.medwayaccess@nhs.net
Recovery Service Patients
Patients that are already known to secondary mental health services will most likely be under the care of the Medway Recovery Service. From time to time we will wish to contact GPs about Care Plans, review meetings or to discuss non-urgent issues, when doing so you can use the new Recovery Service e-mail address: KAMNASCPT.medwayrecoveryteam@nhs.net
For any urgent re-referrals to the Recovery Service (this applies only to patients who have been discharged from Recovery Services in the past 12 months) please call us on 01634 331914 and ask for the duty worker.
Out of Hours
The following services remain in place OOH:
- Crisis Team 01634 830000 Ext 3095
- Social Services (Out of Hours) 0845 762 6777
- Mental Heath Helpline (for patients) 0800 107 0160 (24/7)
