Mental Health and Victoria’s Emergency Departments

The Victorian Government has been working to improve access to mental health services through a range of funding initiatives. Since 2002-03, funding has been provided for additional adult acute, aged and specialist beds, additional subacute mental health beds and aged acute bed substitution places.

In 2004-05 funding for additional nursing staff in high-demand acute units improved discharge practices and assisted in freeing up acute beds earlier. With the opening of Casey Hospital, Southern Health is now providing 10 extra beds to Eastern Health as a temporary measure until an additional 20 beds come on line at Maroondah in early 2009.  These extra 10 beds have provided immediate capacity to ease pressure at Maroondah and Box Hill Hospitals where mental health patients often wait for extended periods.

In 2005-06, an additional $1.2m was allocated to further enhance emergency department mental health services. This funding has been distributed to targeted hospitals and will assist development of a 24-hour 7-day mental health response at Werribee Mercy, Western Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Northern Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital and Southern Health.

The EARC Mental Health sub-committee is currently evaluating options to effectively respond to patients who present to emergency departments with mental health concerns.

Mental Health Triage Tool

The Victorian Emergency Department Mental Health Triage Tool is an assessment tool for general triage nurses. The Triage Tool is designed to guide nurses in the triaging of patients with mental health symptoms by providing descriptors of observed and reported behaviour which can assist in allocating an appropriate triage scale. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS).

The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) was commissioned by the Department of Human Services to produce a triage tool to improve mental health triage practices in emergency departments across Victoria. More accurate and consistent triage can improve the timeliness and appropriateness of mental health care in emergency departments and assist patient flow.

The training manual, which supports the implementation of the Triage Tool, includes:

• the Victorian Emergency Department Mental Health Triage Tool
• a worksheet describing general management principles
• an overview the Mental Status Examination
• an overview of medical clearance for mental health patients
• information to assist in the care and management of patients with self-harm, psychotic disorders, organic disorders, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders
• relevant sections of the Mental Health Act 1986
• case scenarios for training.

The Victorian ED Mental Health Triage Tool (August 2006) ( PDF 104 KB)
The Victorian ED Mental Health Triage Project 2005-06 Training Manual (July 2007) ( PDF 858 KB)
VICTORIAN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT - MENTAL HEALTH
TRIAGE PROJECT August 2005 – March 2006 (September 2006) ( PDF 879 KB)