On the day briefing: investigation into the provision of mental health care to patients presenting at the emergency department

The Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch's (HSIB's) latest report presents the findings of an independent investigation into liaison mental healthcare services in the emergency department (ED). The suicide of a patient named Diane following her absconding from an ED provides the reference incident for HSIB's examination of the pathways of care and communication between acute hospital services, GP services, liaison psychiatry and community mental health teams in the safety of care for people with mental health problems who present at hospital EDs.

HSIB's recommendations are focused on structural and systemic changes to improve the provision and quality of liaison psychiatric services in EDs, to which the government must respond within three months.

This briefing summarises the key findings and recommendations from the report, and the NHS Providers media statement.