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3.10 Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding out-of-hours psychiatric services.
Is the Minister satisfied with the out-of-hours psychiatric services which are presently available?
The Deputy of Trinity (The Minister for Health and Social Services):
I appreciate that the area is quite vast so I will go through. The psychiatric service out-of-hours cover within Jersey consists of an on-call consultant psychiatrist, an on- call staff grade psychiatrist, a psychiatric social worker and a mental health senior manager. People needing to access emergency psychiatric services out of hours do so in the same manner as they would do for medical emergency by contacting either their general practitioner or attending to an A.&E. (Accident and Emergency) department.
Mental Health Services, we have a strategy responsibility under the Jersey Mental Health Law in relation to compulsory detention to Mental Health Services following the recommendation of a doctor on application from a social worker. The Jersey Mental Health Services also provide an accident and emergency liaison service which consists of an experienced psychiatric nurse being on call between 5.00 p.m. and midnight Monday to Friday and 9.00 a.m. until midnight on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. The aim of the service is to ensure that any attendees at Accident and Emergency are seen promptly by an experienced mental health professional and a risk assessment is conducted. Now, looking to those people with mental health problems who are supported in the community, a community nursing team provides 7 day a week services from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. These are for planned contacts including support and social integration. Turning to old age psychiatry team, they provide a 7 day a week service and at weekends. There is also a community psychiatric nurse available from 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Going on to the Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services, they provide a service Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on-call service over the weekends. Due to the economics within Jersey it is not possible to have 24 hour on-call service for each of the specialisms within the Mental Health directorate but there are always mental health professionals available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide assessment and instigate any treatment options. So, in response to the Deputy 's question, I am satisfied with the out-of-hours psychiatric services currently available and believe that they provide the most appropriate service within the finite resources that we have available.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
I thank the Minister for that very comprehensive answer. I wonder if the Minister could define more clearly what the weekend hours are for children's psychiatric services and secondly, could she outline the circumstances in which an individual can directly approach their worker rather than having to go through A.&E. or a general practitioner?
The Deputy of Trinity :
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services provide Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on-call services over the weekends. Regarding the second part of the question, as I say, there is always someone on call especially through A.&E. or via their G.P. (General Practitioner). It is very difficult to give exact examples. It depends on the type of patient and where they would fit in the psychiatric care.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
Just to clarify, my question was can somebody who is known to and working with
psychiatric services, make a direct approach or does the approach always have to be through A.&E. and the general practitioner?
The Deputy of Trinity :
No, if they are known to the community nursing team, as I said, the team does provide 7 days a week service just up until 10.00 p.m. at night unfortunately, but then, if necessary, during the night it would be through the A.&E. Department.