Liaison Psychiatry

• About the service and how to get in touch
• Referral information
• What will happen at the first appointment?
• What might happen next?
• Information for healthcare professionals

About the service and how to get in touch

We are a multidisciplinary team who provide specialist assessment and treatment to individuals with complex needs at the interface between mental and physical health on an outpatient basis. We offer therapy-based interventions and have expertise in working with individuals with Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS) and Long-Term Conditions (LTCs) with a focus on helping those whom, due to the complexity of their problems, are unsuitable for primary care or mainstream mental health services.

Our team is composed of different healthcare professionals, including Liaison Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychotherapists, and a Physiotherapist.

Adult Rehabilitation for Complex Conditions (ARCC) Pilot Pathway

The Liaison Psychiatry Outpatient Service, in conjunction with the National Inpatient Centre for Psychological Medicine (NICPM) is currently running a two year pilot allowing a small number of patients from the Outpatient Service and/or NICPM to receive treatment and therapy in the community (where required).  This approach aims to provide continuity care, reduce length of stay, facilitate early discharge, and prevent unnecessary admission.  PLEASE NOTE services cannot refer directly into the pathway (please see the Information for Healthcare Professionals section below).

Referral information

We accept referrals from health or social care professionals. Information for healthcare professionals is at the bottom of the page. If the referral is accepted, it will be allocated to the waiting list and once the patient reaches the top of the list we will offer them an appointment for an assessment with the team.  They will then receive a booklet either by post or email containing questionnaires that will help guide our assessment and treatment.  It is important that these questionnaires are completed and returned to us by the patient prior to their assessment.

We are unable to accept self-referrals so please speak with your GP or relevant health professional if you feel you would benefit from our services.

Please note that we are unable to allocate referrals to a specific clinician, even when a preference is indicated in the referral. Patients will be allocated to an appropriate clinician (such as an occupational therapist, nurse, doctor, or CBT therapist) based on clinical need and service availability.

What will happen at the first appointment?

• First appointments are face to face with a member of our team at either t the Becklin Centre, Alma Street, St James’s Hospital or Leeds General Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3EX.  First appointments usually last up to 90 minutes.
  • If you have any difficulties attending in person please ring the service to organise a remote appointment after receiving the appointment letter. Remote appointments are offered via the Microsoft Teams platform. Information on how to use this platform will be sent to you prior to your appointment.
• There will be an opportunity to talk about your current problems and how they are affecting your daily life. We will also discuss what help is available for your specific needs.
• This appointment will be with the most appropriate clinician.

What might happen next?

• The clinician will agree a plan with you, dependent on your individual needs.  This may include further face to face appointments, remote appointments or internal referral to the ARCC pilot, for example.
• This might include being offered individual therapy in the department, a review of medication, or other guidance and advice.
• We will liaise with other professionals involved in your care, giving recommendations where appropriate.
• Sometimes our service might not be the right one. If this happens, we will offer recommendations for what other services or treatment might be appropriate.
• Treatment with the team is time-limited, and is focussed on you achieving your identified goals.

Information for healthcare professionals

We accept referrals from any health or social care professional. Upon receipt of a referral, the team will review it and contact you if further information is required. PLEASE NOTE for LYPFT services we do not accept internal referrals via the Care Director duty desk.  If you wish to make a referral please send an email to The Liaison Psychiatry Outpatient Service providing the details below.

If accepted, the patient will be added to the waiting list.  Once the patient reaches the top of the list we will offer them an appointment for an assessment with the team and they will receive a booklet, either by post or email containing questionnaires that will help guide the assessment and treatment.

To make a referral, please send an email or letter to the above email address. To process your referral, we will need the following:

• Name, NHS number and contact details for the patient
• Name and contact details of the referrer
• Information as to why the patient is being referred, a description of their presenting issues and relevant treatment history to date.

Please ensure that the patient is aware of and consents to the referral being made as any correspondence regarding the referral, such as suggestions of alternative services that may be of more help, will be sent to the patient.

We welcome discussions about potential referrals and have a dedicated member of staff on duty to facilitate these discussions.  If you would like to speak with the duty person about a referral, please telephone 0113 8556730 to arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss or alternatively email The Liaison Psychiatry Outpatient Service with details of your query.