Psychiatry

Support offered by our psychiatry team – Doctors specialising in mental health

Assessment and diagnosis of mental health conditions
Treatment planning
Prescribing and monitoring of medication
Completing reviews and monitoring behavioural challenges
Family support and education to help them understand and cope with their loved one’s mental health challenges
Advocacy within health care systems and community and support in accessing services and resources

The care and treatment provided by a psychiatrist in learning disability services are individualised. It may involve collaboration with other professionals, such as psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and support staff, to ensure your care is coordinated.

Support offered by our Learning Disability Nurses

Psychiatrists work as consultants, which means that they will attend meetings with other professionals, prescribe medications and give advice. They cannot answer direct calls if you need day to day advice. For this reason, everyone who has a psychiatrist always also has an allocated Learning Disability Nurse.

For support with day-to-day issues or mental health you should speak to your Learning Disability Nurse first.

They will seek advice from your psychiatrist as needed. The frequency of contacts, length of appointments, and typical episodes of care with a psychiatrist can vary depending on your needs and treatment plan.

Here are some general guidelines

1. Frequency of contacts: You may have frequent regular appointments during the initial assessment and treatment planning phases. Once your condition stabilises, appointments may become less frequent, such as every 3-6 months, annually, or as needed.
2. Length of appointments: Appointments typically range from 30 to 60 minutes, although this can vary based on the complexity of the your needs and the purpose of the appointment.Initial assessments or treatment planning sessions may be longer, while follow-up appointments for medication management or monitoring progress may be shorter.
3. Typical episodes of care: The duration of care episodes can vary depending on your progress and treatment response.Some people may require short-term interventions focusing on stabilisation and crisis management, while others may benefit from long-term, ongoing support for managing their mental health issues.

Some people may require short-term interventions focusing on stabilisation and crisis management, while others may benefit from long-term, ongoing support for managing their mental health issues.

Frequently asked questions

Do the psychiatrists have a waiting list?

Our psychiatrists do not operate a waiting list.

You will only be referred to psychiatrists following completion of appropriate assessments and interventions by other health professionals within the multidisciplinary team (MDT) e.g., Functional analysis and Positive Behavioural Support Plan (PBSP).

If your referral is accepted, you’ll be booked in for a review at the soonest available appointment. This could be in up to a few months’ time during busy times.

What is Learning Disability Psychiatry, and what does it involve?

Learning Disability Psychiatry focuses on the mental health needs of individuals with learning disabilities. It involves assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health conditions.

What treatment approaches do you typically use for patients with learning disabilities?

Treatment approaches may include a combination of counselling, medication management, behavioural interventions, and social skills training tailored to your specific needs.

Do you work with other healthcare professionals?

Working with psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals is essential to provide holistic care for individuals with learning disabilities.

Multidisciplinary team meetings and coordinated care plans help ensure coordinated support.

Do I need to have a nurse for a psychiatry appointment?

Yes.

Do you liaise with GP?

With your consent, all our correspondence is sent to your GP, who will them share medication requests with the pharmacist.

What is a psychiatrist’s role when it comes to sectioning?

Psychiatrists can be contacted by professionals to explore section. A section is where a person may be admitted to a secure rehabilitation unit for their own safety and/or others. This is not a planned or frequent event. It is a last resort or urgent response. Medication, therapies, hospital admission or support services such as Intensive Support Team would usually be tried first.

Where do psychiatrists’ complete visits?

Each Psychiatrist has their own caseload of patients from the community as well as patients on the inpatient unit. Visits are normally at Townend Court in Hull, but we also can arrange virtual appointment.

Do you offer a dementia clinic?

There is a clinic offered to people with Down Syndrome who have queried dementia. The aim is to complete assessments to diagnose.

The psychiatry team work closely with psychology, nurses and occupational therapy who complete assessments and share the information at a review meeting. If there is a diagnosis, the psychiatrist can commence treatment, which is then monitored by the GP and nursing team.

Do psychiatrists discharge?

You will be discharged from clinic when you are stable.

The GP will continue to prescribe.

They may contact Psychiatry if they have questions that requires specialist advice.

Do psychiatrists see people with people with a mild learning disability?

Sometimes. This depends on their capability from day to day along with having a community nurse.

Mainstream psychiatry is first recommended. Any unsuitable referral from GP or a nurse will be responded to, and mainstream services advised.