Contact the service
Contact your local dementia liaison nurse by calling our main switchboard on 01208 251 300.
About the team
The team is based at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske. The service is managed by a dementia and older people’s mental health clinical lead.
We provide a service to hospital sites throughout west and mid Cornwall. We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The multi-disciplinary team is made up of:
- registered mental health nurses
- occupational therapist
- a support worker
- an advanced clinical practitioner
- a consultant psychiatrist
We see patients:
- who are confused due to suspected or known dementia, of any age
- with functional mental illness who are 75 years or over
What we do
What we do
The service is an essential component of the Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health Team.
We work with patients with many different mental health problems, such as:
- concern about memory
- patients living with dementia with complex needs
- patients experiencing delirium with complex needs and behaviours
- problems with worry, stress or depression and suicidal ideas
- medically unexplained physical health problems
- psychosis
The service aims to provide comprehensive triage, advice and support. We carry out a face to face mental health assessment of the patient. As well as management advice to the referring team.
We strive to communicate effectively with all those involved in the persons’ care including family members. Our advice is based upon all relevant information available regarding the patient’s presentation and background history.
This is with a view to:
- providing advice and guidance on mental health nursing and care, and treatment options including appropriate use of psychotropic medication, taking into account local policy and only with the support of the doctors in the multi-disciplinary team
- ensuring that a patient’s mental health issues do not unnecessarily contribute to prolonged hospital admissions
- improving detection and treatment of pain and other physical factors that may contribute to confusion and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
- offering advice and support to carers
- contributing to prompt and effective discharge planning for patients with mental health needs in liaison with the onward care team
- legal and national frameworks such as the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts, including best interests consideration, deprivation of liberty safeguards and processes around safeguarding of vulnerable adults
In providing ongoing assessment and treatment whilst the patient remains in the hospital, we work collaboratively with health care professionals in the general hospital setting to meet the needs of the patient and promote patient centred care. During this time, hospital wards clinicians have overall responsibility for the patients’ care until discharge.
The team also support complex discharge planning. Where appropriate, we also arrange community follow-up. If needed, we can also carry out a follow-up at home on discharge. After discharge, the patients GP (or other agencies) will be notified by way of an assessment letter to ensure continuity of care.
Referrals
We accept referrals from professionals in health and social care.
Referrals to the service should be completed via Maxims (internal hospital referral system). Select 'psychiatric liaison DOMPH'.
If refers do not have access to Maxims, referrals should be made using the team referral form. Email completed referrals forms to the team.
We aim to make an initial triage and provide feedback by the end of the following working day.
For emergency department referrals, we aim to contact the same day. Call 01872 252 930 if you have any questions about referrals, or if you have an urgent referral.