Liaison psychiatry services in Scotland, 2022: online survey of NHS health boards

Abstract

Aims and method Liaison psychiatry services have seen significant developments the UK. Regular surveys of liaison psychiatry in England have contributed to this, but it has not attracted the same interest in Scotland, with only a mention and no commitments in the Scottish Government's Mental Health Strategy. There have been no comprehensive surveys in Scotland and this study was an attempt to explore provisioning of services. A questionnaire was sent to liaison psychiatry services in the mainland Scottish National Health Service (NHS) health boards. Results Responses obtained from all 11 boards revealed considerable variation in service provisioning. Services provided through acute rather than mental health directorates seem significantly better resourced. Clinical implications Liaison psychiatry services can improve care for patients but require adequate resources to do so. There are limited quality standards for Scottish liaison services, unlike other devolved nations, leading to variation in provision. This survey will assist in designing quality standards for liaison psychiatry in Scotland.

Keywords

• Liaison psychiatry
• service development
• Scotland
• staffing
• psychiatric nursing