Service Detail

The Assessment and Liaison Service is for Lewisham residents with mental health problems or residents from neighbouring boroughs who are registered with a Lewisham GP.

The service works to each of Lewisham's four GP neighbourhoods, and assesses people who are referred according to the following timescales:

- within 24 hours - for urgent referrals
- within 7 days - for priority referrals
- within 28 days - for routine referrals

The service accepts referrals from GP's, primary care and social care colleagues. It does not accept self-referrals

The Service provides expert advice and consultation to help primary and adult social care colleagues look after patients, where possible, without the need for a secondary mental health service.

Where a secondary service may be indicated, a member of the multidisciplinary team will see the patient within the relevant timescale and provide the referrer with a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and formulation in keeping with NICE guidelines and Trust and Local Authority policy.

Current criteria for referral are:

- NICE guidelines for treatment in primary care have already been applied
- there is a significant mood, anxiety or personality problem
- there is a moderate or serious risk of harm to self or others
- the primary problem is not one of harmful use of alcohol or drugs
- there may be a psychotic disorder which can't be managed in primary care.

Examples of possible outcomes are as follows:

- discharge back to primary care with detailed advice and guidance about treatment
- referral onwards to other secondary or more specialist service
- signposting to more appropriate services or agencies in the community
- up to 12 weeks treatment and support provided in accordance with NICE guidelines.