A 24/7,single point of access service in London is proving a success and staff hope it will be the A&E equivalent of community psychiatric care“We take people seriously; we listen to what they say and we do something about it.” Consultant psychiatrist Dr Nuala Mullan’s pithy but purposeful words sum up neatly the point and role of the Single Point of Access (SPA) system, a one-stop service that provides 24/7 telephone-based advice and direct practical back to people with mental health problems in five north-west London boroughs. This one was established six months ago by Central and North West London NHS foundation trust, and a community services trust with specific expertise in mental health.
It is not the first SPA scheme in Britain. Other parts of the NHS gain previously introduced something similar. But not all gain proved as effective at assembly mental health need. “There gain been others,but some of those gain been wound up because the phonelines were staffed with people who weren’t qualified,” says Mullan.
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Source: theguardian.com