Referral and Assessment Process

Once a patient/ client is referred to one of our hospitals or centres, we offer each individual a thorough assessment to ensure that our service not only fully meets the specific requirements of that individual but also to make certain that the service we provide will make a positive difference to the individual.

We believe that working in partnership with the local referral team right from the point of referral ensures effective discharge planning and can assist in the implementation of appropriate longer-term care.

Our referral and assessment process differs slightly according to the type of service. Please refer to the relevant service area or, if you prefer, contact the relevant hospital/ centre manager for full details.

 


We welcome referrals to our learning disabilities services from local social services, community nurses, procurement teams, GPs and hospital consultants. We also accept private referrals.

A pre-admission assessment is undertaken by at least one senior member of our team to ensure that the service we provide fully matches the client’s needs. This assessment is normally undertaken within the community or within our centre. Based upon this assessment, an individual care plan is developed which is reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

Following admission, the typical review period for children is seven to 14 days whilst for adults the review period is longer. Following an initial weekly review, adults are reviewed at intervals of between six weeks and three months depending upon each individual’s particular needs.

To make a referral to our learning disability services, please click on the relevant centre below:

We accept referrals either from statutory drug and alcohol agencies or directly from clients choosing to fund their own treatment.

Prior to admission all clients receive a comprehensive assessment which includes aftercare arrangements and is undertaken by a member of our multi-disciplinary team. From this a care plan is agreed with the client and referrer which identifies the specific goals of treatment and is reviewed continuously throughout the client’s stay.

To make a referral to our drug and alcohol addiction service, please click below:

We welcome referrals to our adult mental health service at Roehampton from care-co-ordinators, social workers, Specialist Commissioning Groups, Primary Care Trusts, consultant psychiatrists, psychologists, case managers, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Ministry of Defence (MOD), other health professionals and families.

All referrals are promptly assessed by one of our consultant psychiatrists and a senior nurse. In the majority of cases, the decision regarding admission is made at this stage, however at times further clarification may be sought via the telephone. On rare occasions, a formal face-to-face assessment will be undertaken by our multi-disciplinary team prior to making the decision about admission, which is free of charge.

We are happy to accept emergency referrals at any time of the day and may also be in a position to organise transport for transfers.

To make a referral to our adult mental health service, please click on the link below:

We welcome referrals from consultant psychiatrists, consultant paediatricians, Specialist Commissioning Groups, Primary Care Trusts or Scottish Local Health Boards, psychologists and occasionally GPs. The assessment process at our Cotswold Spa hospital in Broadway differs from the process at our other three hospitals. The following information refers to our three large eating disorder hospitals with details for Cotswold Spa further below.

At our hospitals in Edinburgh, Maidenhead and Stafford, we offer a rapid response service to our referrers to help them deal effectively with eating disorder patients in crisis. We also accept detained patients detained and we also specialise in high dependency patients where high intensity care may be required. To make an emergency referral to one of our hospitals, please contact the relevant hospital as follows:

  • Huntercombe Hospital, Edinburgh – by telephone: 01506 856023
  • Huntercombe Hospital, Maidenhead – by telephone: 01628 667881 and ask for the on-call doctor.
  • Huntercombe Hospital, Stafford – by email: oohreferrals.stafford@fshc.co.uk

Referral is normally with a view to admission and comprises a comprehensive assessment by our multi-disciplinary team, which looks at both a patient’s physical and psychological state. Where admission is advised, we liaise closely with the referrer to ensure the facilitation of effective discharge planning. On occasions, we request a visit to a patient’s home to assess what ongoing local support is available to them on discharge from our hospital.

On admission, our multi-disciplinary team undertake a two-week assessment during which, if suitable, a client starts his or her treatment programme. All our clients have a care plan which details their nursing, psychological, social and educational requirements. Clients are reviewed weekly by our multi-disciplinary team and have a fortnightly to six weekly formal review in the presence of our team, members of their family and their referrer.

Admissions to Huntercombe Hospital, Cotswold Spa are generally planned admissions and are arranged directly with the Hospital Manager. The patient, their family/carer and, if possible, a representative from the patient’s referring team are invited to visit the hospital prior to admission for an assessment with a senior nurse and / or a doctor or consultant. The assessing team may conclude that the patient does not require inpatient treatment but may benefit from day patient or out-patient care instead. Day patient status may be tried in the first instance to engage the young person but if no improvement is evident then they may be admitted for a short inpatient stay. The expected length of stay for inpatients is approximately six weeks, with patient review meetings occurring fortnightly. We invite referring teams to be involved with the programme, for example, attending cooking sessions with the patient two weeks before discharge, as this facilitates a smooth transfer home.

To make a referral to our eating disorder service, please click below:

We welcome referrals from consultant psychiatrists, consultant paediatricians, Specialist Commissioning Groups, Primary Care Trusts or Scottish Local Health Boards, psychologists and occasionally GPs. We accept detained patients and can take emergency admissions within 24 hours of referral or the same day.

Detailed assessment by our multi-disciplinary team in consultation with the referrer enables treatment options to be considered in an informed manner. The young person and his/her parents or carers are invited to visit the unit and meet our care team to discuss the goals and limits of admission, treatment interventions and management of possible risk.

We offer a short-term assessment programme, designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of mental health needs which takes approximately six weeks to complete. It includes psychiatric, psychological and systemic assessments together with an occupational therapy assessment of living skills. The assessment is practically oriented and includes a risk assessment together with risk management plans.

All our patients have a care plan which details their psychological, social and educational requirements. Patients are reviewed weekly by our multi-disciplinary team and have a fortnightly to six weekly formal review in the presence of our team, members of their family and their referrer.

To make a referral to our child and adolescent mental health services, please click on the relevant centre below:

 

All our mental health services welcome referrals 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and the majority accept emergency referrals. To make an emergency referral to one of our hospitals, please contact the relevant hospital as follows:

  • Huntercombe Hospital, Edinburgh – by telephone: 01506 856023
  • Huntercombe Hospital, Maidenhead – by telephone: 01628 667881 and ask for the on-call doctor.
  • Huntercombe Hospital, Roehampton – by telephone to Edita Kirby, Business Manager: 020 870 6179 or 020 8780 6155 outside office hours.
  • Huntercombe Hospital, Stafford – by email: oohreferrals.stafford@fshc.co.uk

To our adolescent brain injury and rehabilitation service in Stafford, we welcome referrals from all professionals. Examples include psychiatrists, psychologists and paediatricians. We do accept detained patients but would not usually accept an out-of-hours referral to this particular service.

Prior to admission, a pre-admission assessment is undertaken by our lead consultant for this service, Dr Gordon Bates, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. This assessment can either take place in a hospital or other residential facility but we would suggest that the young person visits our hospital as part of the pre-admission process.

After the pre-admission assessment, if appropriate, we recommend a six-week assessment and induction period to fully assess the young person’s suitability for treatment. During this time, we undertake a full multi-disciplinary assessment which includes neuropsychiatric and psychological assessment, individual therapy, family therapy, occupational therapy and education.

After the six week inpatient assessment, we will issue a report to the referrer and make recommendations for further treatment, if required.

To make a referral to our adolescent brain service, please click below:

To our specialist neuropsychiatry and adult brain injury service at Roehampton hospital we welcome referrals from both the NHS and independent sectors, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Ministry of Defence. Typical referrers are care co-ordinators, social workers, Primary Care Trusts or GP consortia, consultants in psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, occupational therapy, psychologists, case managers, and families.

Prior to admission a pre-admission assessment is undertaken by our lead consultant for this service and two other senior members of the team. This assessment can take place in the hospital where the patient is being cared for, at home or in our hospital.

On admission, a further assessment is undertaken with the active involvement of all members of our multi-disciplinary team. Following this assessment a written report detailingthe individual’s personal preferences, specific needs and individual goals is produced.

Our specialist consultant formally reviews each patient weekly and multi-disciplinary team meetings occur fortnightly. As the consultant is on site full time, patients can meet with him daily if required. Every three months a formal Care Programme Approach (CPA) meeting takes place which involves everyone involved in the patient’s care.

To make a referral to our neuropsychiatry and brain injury service (NABIS), please click below:

To our neurodisability services, we welcome referrals from social services, Primary Care Trusts or Scottish Local Health Boards, Specialist Nurses (e.g. Huntington’s Disease or Motor Neurone Specialist Nurse) and other relevant clinicians.

Prior to admission a member of our team will assess the client either at the place where the client is currently cared for or at our centre. From this assessment an individual care plan identifying the individual’s personal preferences, specific needs and individual goals will be produced. Following admission, client’s goals and care plans are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that the client’s needs continue to be met. Care review meetings are held to discuss progress and future needs.

To make a referral to our neurodisability services, please click on the relevant hospital/centre:


To our brain injury rehabilitation services, we welcome referrals from the patient’s consultant, GP or designated team member from their local provider service. The referral is normally made direct to the relevant Primary Care Trust or Scottish Local Health Board for approval of funding.

We offer a pre-admission assessment usually within one week with one of our medical consultants or other senior members of our team; however, where necessary an urgent same day assessment can be arranged. This pre-admission assessment can take place in a hospital ward, at home or in our centre.

Following admission, we offer an initial assessment period of between two and six weeks during which time a detailed medical, psychological, therapy and nursing assessment is performed, followed by a written report and a “review meeting”. Patient goals and rehabilitation plans are formulated and reviewed regularly.

To make a referral to our brain injury rehabilitation services, please click on the relevant hospital/centre:

We welcome referrals from the child’s social worker, local NHS provider, consultant, GP or family.

Prior to admission, a detailed assessment is carried out by our trained staff, in conjunction with relatives, carers and other professionals. This ensures that we are able to provide the required level of care and support that each individual child/ young person needs to achieve his/ her full potential and to be safe and healthy. To accomplish this, all aspects of the child/ young person’s physical, social and emotional well-being are considered within this assessment. In the case of an emergency, an assessment can be arranged within 48 hours of referral.

Based upon this assessment an individual placement plan and risk assessments are developed for the child/ young person and these are reviewed regularly, to reflect any changes in care needs.

To make a referral to our service for children with specialist needs please click below