Who Cares Wins - Royal College of Psychiatrists

The liaison team agreed to run workshops for other wards in the hospital and to update these on a
regular basis. A staff survey identified a range of topics including management of dementia, capacity
and consent, use of psychotropic drugs and depression to be included in a training programme.
This case illustrates how an opportunity for training can arise from a single case and the
constant presence of a liaison team facilitates confidence that allows ward staff to
suggest a training need.
A multidisciplinary old age liaison team is well established and highly regarded in a district general
hospital. The consultants in geriatric medicine are concerned that the liaison team may be receiving
inappropriate referrals and that this is delaying them from seeing more important cases.
In collaboration they decide to audit referrals against jointly agreed criteria. They find that 78% of
referrals are considered appropriate and 86% are seen within the time set by the operational policy.
It is agreed that the criteria for referral are reviewed and linked with care pathways for the management
of common mental disorders. Furthermore, that the new criteria identify priority problems that need
rapid response.
Within 4 weeks the necessary developments are in place and the care pathways are used in tutorials
with general ward staff as part of a rolling training programme. It is the intention to re-audit after 6
months.
This case illustrates how collaborative audit can be developed to form the basis of
training through non-judgemental feedback. The physical presence of a liaison team
working in and with the general hospital facilitates the trust needed to produce a
training agenda.
43