Impact of changes in community psychiatric service provision on mental health presentations to the emergency department

Background The reconfiguration of many Irish stand-alone psychiatric units has led to many patients in acute mental health need now being assessed in emergency departments (EDs). This has implications for ED resources and raises questions about appropriate assessment location for this group. Aims This report aims to examine the impact of removal of a direct community access point for patients in acute mental health need on ED presentations in a Dublin hospital. Methods We examined data on ED referrals to psychiatry over 5 years: 12 months before the service change, and four subsequent 12-month periods. We compared numbers referred, mode of referral, average ED length of stay, proportion with no physical issue requiring psychiatric assessment only, and numbers who did not wait for psychiatry assessment. Results In the year directly after the service change, referrals to psychiatry from ED increased by 200%, remaining at this level for the subsequent 3 years. Of these, 32.5% were referred by a GP—more than a threefold increase in numbers from the previous year, with both numbers remaining similarly elevated over subsequent years. In the year after the service change, 52.1% of total ED to psychiatry presented solely for mental health reasons—nearly a fourfold increase in cases from the previous year, and remained high. Conclusions Removing a direct community access point for this group resulted in a substantial increase in ED presentations, many of which did not have physical needs. This study has implications for future policy to address the needs of this group, especially in light of the pandemic.